A Welcome Darkness
by KennethRose
Summary: Begins Summer holidays after Order of the Phoenix. Harry Potter has gotten over his depression faster than he thought possible, and moves to increase his knowledge base and fitness. On one of his runs a 'chance' meeting changes his life as he knows it.
1. Chapter 1

**A Welcome Darkness**

**Disclaimer: **Unfortunately I do not own any part of the Harry Potter franchise or universe, all rights belong to J.K Rowling and affiliated companies.

**Rating: K+ (may change at a later date).**

**Plot: **Begins Summer holidays _after _Order of the Phoenix. Harry Potter has gotten over his depression faster than he thought possible, and moves to increase his knowledge base and fitness. On one of his runs a 'chance' meeting changes his life as he knows it.

**Pairing: **Harry/Gabrielle

**Dedication: **The love of this pairing came from 'jeconais' who posts on fanficauthors. His story 'Hope' was a truly wonderful read, and anybody who enjoys this pairing should definitely give it a go! Also, DZ2 created the format for this 'top' part (disclaimer and all).

**Tags: **Part-CreatureHarry; Weasley Bashing (minus Twins); Smart Neville; Powerful Harry; Nosey and Irritable Hermione; ManipulativeDumbledore; PoliticalHarry

**Key**

"Normal Speech"

_«French»_

'_Thought_'

* * *

Harry Potter's godfather had died. Harry had watched him fall through the veil with a sense of detached horror as the stunner hit him in the chest, and then he had cast the Cruciatus curse only to be ridiculed by the woman he cast it at. He had watched through tear-filled eyes as Dumbledore fought Voldemort to a standstill, and then it had happened. The pain roared through him without a hint of mercy as Voldemort's consciousness fought to possess him, and at that moment he would have very much preferred dying to what he had been feeling. Somehow, through some incredible feat of magic, luck, or whatever they were calling it these days, he had managed to break free of the evil influence; had managed to snap their connection and force him out of his mind. And then in a rush he had found himself in Dumbledore's office as he was told that he knew of the horrific abuse he had suffered at the hands of his relatives, and that he, a mere fifteen year old boy was supposed to kill the world's most evil and powerful wizard or be killed himself.

He felt that the outburst that followed was quite justified, and indeed, as he lay on his bed reminiscing, he found himself quite proud of ruining a substantial portion of Dumbledore's trinkets and monitors beyond any hope of repair whatsoever. He turned his head slightly and sighed at the numbers 5:24 blinking back at him. He'd been awoken _again_ by the nightmare that had been haunting him ever since he had seen Sirius fall through the Veil of Death, and knew through experience that he would not be getting back to sleep in an awful hurry, and last night had been the first time in three days that he had actually managed to fall asleep. He sat up and placed his glasses over his eyes before yawning widely and then pulling a notebook from his bedside table. Opening up to the last page he looked over his schedule for the day and decided that it was best to start early so that he would actually get a hot shower after his run instead of the ice-cold ones he was used to because his fat whale of a cousin seemed to think that turning a shower into a makeshift sauna was a good idea. That, and he wouldn't have to navigate around his more…alert Order guards; the idiotic and comatose Mundungus Fletcher he'd take over deceiving Mad-Eye any day.

Since arriving back at the Dursleys a week ago he had found himself swamped with chores. Vernon's temper was clearly quite volatile, as shown by the purple face on the drive back to Privet, and so he hadn't put up a single argument, deciding that Sirius would've smacked him over the head for getting himself beaten to a pulp because of his grief. Mowing the lawns, painting fences, doing the laundry, dusting the house, cooking the meals; it wasn't much of a deviation from the normal structure of his holidays saves the frequency with which he was ordered to do things, but in a way he found it somewhat therapeutic. It allowed him to take his mind off the sadness he felt; the anger at lost opportunities, and the hate he now held for the Headmaster. In a way it was due to all the work the Dursleys that had allowed him to work through his grief; accepted that it wasn't his fault; and realized that the headmaster was as manipulative as he was a good actor.

He pried up his floorboard with a sigh and quickly tied his runners before slipping into his exercise clothes and sneaking from the house with the liberal help of a wandless silencing charm on the stairs. He smirked as he exited the front door – another good thing that had come of the outburst in Dumbledore's office had been the knowledge of what his magic felt like, and how to draw on it. After sulking and grieving for the first two days he had put that to use, and could now manage a few minor hexes and spells without the use of his wand. The fact that his repertoire of wandless magic was limited to a basic silencing spell, lumos, and scourgify did worry him slightly, as they were hardly anything that he could use in a duel, but the latter helped him do the cleaning in a jiffy to free up time for his intensive studies.

Setting a brutal pace he began his run, and breathed in the early morning air deep into his lungs, smiling as his feet pounded against the pavement. After nearly half an hour he reached the park and his stopped to catch his breath for a moment. His eyes, alert and clear, swept over the small manmade lake as the sun rose, and his breathing began slowing after several minutes signalling that he should begin running again. Just as he was about to do so however he caught sight of a flash of white from the corner of his eye, and in an instant his wand was out and pointed at the offending object. Seeing that the object was in fact the back of a woman's head he quickly stowed it away, but then froze when a memory stirred within him. He searched for it, digging for where he had seen that light blonde hair before, and when it hit him his eyebrows raised up underneath his fringe. He slowly walked in an arch so that he could get a glimpse of the young woman's face, and when he did his jaw dropped slightly. The woman in front of him was stunningly beautiful; easily the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his entire life in fact - and he knew her.

"Gabrielle?"

The young blonde turned her head in surprise; looking up from the piece of paper she had been drawing on, and her eyes widened when she saw Harry standing there looking at her in shock. After a moment a brilliant smile spread over her face, and she stood from the chair before making her way over to him, "Harry! I didn't expect to see you here of all places!" She pulled him into a hug, and Harry, having prepared himself for it, wrapped his arms lightly around her and gave her a squeeze before taking a step back and looking her over as she did the same to him.

"You've grown a lot since I last saw you!"

She smirked and put her hands on her hips. "When Fleur kissed you goodbye?"

He blushed, but managed to keep it to a minimum; a new, very welcome skill he had managed to acquire over the course of his chore-filled holiday so far. "Well, yeah – but I was trying to compliment you. You look amazing."

Her eyebrow quirked and a cheeky smile reached her lips. "Are you flirting with me Harry Potter?"

This time his blush sprung into full burst, and he lowered his head in embarrassment at her chuckle. "It seems like I'm not _that_ confident yet," he muttered to himself, and then lifted his eyes back up to her where she was motioning to the seat she had just vacated. They both sat down and Harry peered over at the piece of paper that she had been working on before she had seen him. "Wow, that's really good Gabrielle – I didn't know that you could draw."

She raised another perfectly shaped eyebrow; her glittering blue eyes dancing back at him. "You don't know much about me Harry; we've barely ever talked." He blushed again, much to her amusement, and then waved his hand vaguely to cast a warming charm over them; the cold air was beginning to nip at him since he was cooling down. "You can do wandless magic?" she asked in surprise, and his eyebrows shot up as well.

"Yeah, but I've never done a warming charm before…" he smiled happily to himself, "Well there's another spell I can add to my achievement list."

"A warming spell?" she asked in amusement, "I thought that such spells were in the second year curriculum here, or am I giving this country's education system too much credit?"

He nodded seriously, "Definitely too much credit, we're still covering the levitating spell…what's it called again? Gimwadium Jevidosa or something like that." She laughed musically, and the grin that had been hiding split out onto his face as he too chuckled. "But in all seriousness, that's the fourth spell I can cast wandlessly."

She nodded, and then cocked her head to the side. "So what are you doing here?"

"I think I should be asking you that question," he shot back, but she grinned at him.

"I asked first."

He chuckled and nodded, "That you did. I live about an hour's walk from here; I run this route most mornings, now it's your turn."

She seemed to hesitate for a second, and he caught a flash of emotion in her eyes that deviated from her normal cheerfulness before she answered with her smile back in place. "I'm here for an exchange actually. There's a group of thirty witches and wizards who are offered it every year so that we can experience England's culture and language in more depth."

"Clearly your sister didn't take that option," he winked, and she chuckled with a nod of agreement.

"She thinks you are all barbarians, or at least she did before she met you and Bill. And she can speak very good English; she just likes the way her accent makes her sound sexy." Harry buried his head in his hands as he blushed beet-red, and Gabrielle smirked at him. "You're so easy to tease."

He snorted and met her eyes, once more fighting down his blush. "You think this is bad? You should've seen me in my third year; I was probably the most emotionally stunted thirteen year old wizard in England. If you had've told me half-way through last year even that I'd be able to tell a pretty young woman like yourself that she looked amazing…" she blushed herself at the compliment, and he smiled lightly, "I wouldn't sent you straight to the long-term ward at St Mungos. It's just in the past week that I've managed to get a grip on my insecurity, and this is the first time I've really gotten to test it."

"So I'm your…" she searched for the word, and then smirked at him. "Guinea pig?"

He fought against the stutters that would normally accompany teasing by such a stunning woman, and nodded easily with a shrug, "Sure."

He managed to hold it in for several seconds before bursting into laughter at the look on her face, and a moment later she joined him. "I can definitely see that you have changed. I like it."

He blushed slightly and nodded to her with a smile, "Thanks, so do I." He stared out over the lake and leant back; refreshing the warming charm on them both. She sent him a thankful smile. "So how long are you here for?"

"'Till the end of the holidays, and then I go back to Beauxbatons." He nodded and she scratched away at her pad once more. "I heard about Sirius Black, your godfather."

She saw him stiffen, and then slump slightly as he nodded. "Yeah, and do you know the sad thing? He didn't even betray my parents." Gabrielle stopped drawing and looked at him in shock as he gave a humourless chuckle, "Yeah, tell me about it. Hermione and I broke Sirius out of Hogwarts' tower before he could be kissed; it turns out that the man he was charged with murdering was in fact the traitor, and that he is now a Death Eater."

He jolted when he felt a warmth cover his hand, and looked down to see her fingers covering his. He looked up to meet her eyes and she gave him a sad smile in return. "Then I am sorry."

For the next three hours they sat on the bench and talked, and both of them found themselves becoming quite comfortable around each other. When Harry realized the time however, he shot up from the chair; Gabrielle's hand slipping off his, and shot her an apologetic but slightly frantic smile. "I've got to go, _shit_ I didn't realize it was this time already! Look, ummm…" he thought for several moments before his eyes lit up. He pointed at a small but upscale café on the corner, "Would you like to meet up for coffee later on today maybe?" She nodded, her surprise turning into a warm smile, and he smiled back. "Okay, how about one o'clock? Is that okay with you?"

She nodded and stood herself, the smile still on her lips. "That would be nice, I will see you then?"

He nodded, and with one last hurried hug took off at a dead sprint. He missed the worried look on her face as he disappeared around the corner; too intent on getting back to number four as fast as humanly possible to turn and look behind. In just fifteen minutes he made it back, and he tumbled through the front door before racing down to the basement to use the old, scummy shower so that he could avoid his relatives for as long as possible. Five minutes later and he was scrambling for a towel, before groaning when he realized that he had forgotten one. After a moment an idea popped into his head and he cast another wandless warming charm on himself, but this time overpowered it.

He yelped as the heat engulfed him, and quickly regulated the output until he was steaming quite nicely as the water evaporated off him. He ran up the stairs still steaming, and then bolted into his room before changing hurriedly into his hand-me-downs from Dudley. He looked down in disgust and made a mental note to go to a clothing store before meeting with Gabrielle. "BOY!" came the roar from the bottom of the stairs, and he groaned before racing down the stairs and past his silently fuming uncle. In the past he would likely have been beaten for being late, but he silently thanked the powers that be for small wonders…like Mad-Eye threatening the prudes. Breakfast was on the go within seconds; Harry heating up the pans faster than normally possible with wandless magic; cleaning up his mess in the same manner as he worked. Vernon walked in a moment later, scowling suspiciously when he saw the eggs and bacon already cooking, but considering that Harry clearly didn't have his wand on him, couldn't make a scene.

Harry slammed down onto his bed after he had made it out of that situation alive, and patted his surprisingly full stomach contentedly as it grumbled in satisfaction. The events of the day had already been a whirlwind; from misery to happiness to distress to content, and to his surprise, now excitement. He sat up after several minutes and wondered about the young woman he had met that morning. He hadn't seen her in over a year, and the once-eleven year old girl now looked more like a sixteen year old young woman, and a very beautiful young woman at that. It was almost unbelievable that she was only twelve years old with the way she acted and looked, and yet Harry found that unbelievable wasn't really that much of a deal to him anymore.

For the rest of the morning he worked his proverbial arse off to get his chores done so that he had time to shop and meet with Gabrielle, and although Petunia gave him an odd look he found himself free at just after eleven o'clock. Racing up to his room he once again pried up his floorboard, but this time withdrew a roll of one hundred pound bills that he had converted from Galleons over a year ago. He pulled out ten of the notes and stuffed them in his pocket before looking at himself in the mirror, and he sighed at his morbid appearance. The clothes contributed to about ninety percent of the overall look, and he blamed the other ten percent on the fact that he was in the same house as the abusive little pricks. Making sure to silence his steps he crept out once more and released a deep breath he hadn't been aware he'd been holding when he rounded the corner and headed towards the shopping district.

When he stopped outside the fanciest looking store he could find he looked at his watch and quickly rushed inside…where he was immediately met by a disapproving salesman. His eyes looked over Harry like he was little more than an insignificant insect, and Harry swallowed before managing to construct a rather – in his opinion – brilliant excuse for his slovenly state of dress. "Good afternoon sir. My family's manner was burnt down in a fire yesterevening and I find myself in need of some very quick assistance in outfitting. I was told that you were the people to see about high-quality, comfortable clothing."

The man's demeanour immediately changed from repulsed to very, very friendly, and Harry almost winced – if this carried on he'd get whiplash from the mood swings. "Yes of course sir, you've come to the right place!"

Harry smiled in what he hoped to be a genuine manner and pulled eight hundred pounds out of his pocket. The man's eyes widened and Harry continued. "I am in need of a single outfit; smart casual, most certainly not formal. I'm going for a look of understated wealth; confident but not arrogant; comfortable and friendly seeming."

"Shoes as well sir?" bumbled the excited man, and Harry nodded as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Harry was then subjected to half an hour of complete mayhem, which became even more hectic when he told the man that he was on a time limit. He left the store seven hundred and fifty two pounds poorer, with every single piece of clothing he had been wearing before in a bin, but looking every bit like a fine young man – precisely the look he had been going for. He had even tipped the salesman thirty pounds for his help. He peered at his new watch as the café came into view, and then sighed in relief and smiled when he saw that he was ten minutes early. Ducking into a store on his left he quickly scheduled an appointment to see the optometrist the following day, and then made his way into the small but quite busy café.

He managed not to smirk when he was served before another group of teenagers despite his later arrival. He snagged a table for two outside by one of the fireplaces and ordered an assortment of small cakes and slices while he waited. Exactly ten minutes past one he caught sight of Gabrielle, and his jaw slackened…along with virtually every other male in the immediate vicinity. Her long blonde hair blew out behind her, and she was dressed in an expensive looking crème outfit that hugged her body in all the right places without being tarty. He managed to keep his mouth closed however, while the others did not…nor did he drool as they were in some cases, and in both instances he was proud of his control. She spotted him and waved, and Harry couldn't help but chuckle when nearly the entire café populace waved back. She made a beeline right for him, and then sat down with a beaming smile as he ignore the looks of jealousy and envy on the other men's faces…or the enamoured looks of others as they stared blatantly at her. "Gabrielle, I know we've only just gotten knowing each other, but I'm going to say what I think because it would be a crime not to. You look positively stunning; you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen – and I'm not affected by your allure as you well know."

She blushed prettily and lowered her head in embarrassment, and Harry smiled slightly; it was about time he made her blush instead of the other way around. "You look very handsome yourself Harry." He blushed, and then cursed under his breath when she followed up with, "And you're the only man I've ever met but my father that doesn't let that go to your head. That's a very attractive trait."

"Cheater."

She chuckled, but once more leant over and brushed her hand over his. "But it is the truth Harry." She took her hand back after a moment, and he took in several deep breaths to force his blush down. When he looked up again he groaned and immediately slammed his head into the table while Gabrielle laughed happily as she continued to lick the cream from her finger. After several moments he lifted his head cautiously, and sighed in relief when no other form of torture seemed forthcoming. He was wrong, but this time he didn't look away when she spoke. "I think the saying goes…but all jokes aside?" He nodded and she continued. "But all jokes aside, Harry, you saying such things without my allure affecting you…it makes me feel very special. Thank you."

He blushed, but shook his head as he smiled. "There's no need to thank me; it's the truth." She blushed again, and Harry leant forwards so that others wouldn't hear. "Can you control your allure?"

She blushed in embarrassment, "I am controlling it as much as I can right now. I cannot suppress it like Fleur can yet."

Harry nodded with a reassuring smile, "Right then, do you have your wand in case there's trouble?" She nodded and he smiled at her, "I'll go and order our coffee then. How do you like yours?"

She shook her head with a thankful smile, "I would like a Chai Latte please."

Harry raised an eyebrow in interest. "A Chai Latte? I've never had one before, what are they like?"

She smiled warmly at him, "They smell like Christmas."

He chuckled and shrugged his shoulders, "That's good enough for me so long as we discount the first eleven years of my life." He missed the worried look once more when he stood, and she marshalled her face back into a smile when he looked to her and leant down to say, "Be safe while I'm gone; the other men here are _not_ immune to you."

She nodded to him, and he patted her hand once before walking inside with a confidence she had never before seen in him, and she smiled. Harry approached the counter, and frowned when he saw the hostile expression on the waiter's face. Moving down a little further he caught the eye of a wait_ress_ and motioned to her. "Two Chai Lattes thank you."

She nodded and began making them, and then gave him an odd look as she worked behind the counter. "Why is every male glaring at you?"

He looked around and found that she was in fact right, and turned to her with a lopsided smile. "Because I'm so handsome?"

She snorted with a grin, "And modest to boot."

He laughed and shook his head, "No, it's because I'm sitting with the most beautiful woman in the entire world, and they're insanely jealous. I'm not inclined to care because she's sitting with _me_, but…" he shrugged, "you can never be too careful, which is why I asked you to serve me. Your buddy there," he tilted his head to the still-glaring waiter, "would probably slap some dish-washing powder into my drink and happily watch as I was poisoned."

She looked to her workmate and recoiled slightly at the look of anger and hate on his face. "Good God, I've never seen Henry so riled before…what did you do?"

Harry turned around and grinned, "Bring our drinks out to us and you'll see just what I mean by beautiful." She nodded and he walked back outside, before freezing when he saw three men crowded around Gabrielle; one of them with her arm in a firm grip – all of their expressions lusting. He could see the fear of Gabrielle's face, and he was moving before his conscious mind even caught up. "Let. Her. Go."

The three men looked up from Gabrielle with matching sneers, but their superior expressions didn't last long when they caught sight of the furious look in his eyes. Even though muggles couldn't see magic, they could still feel its effects, and every single ounce of his bubbling fury was focussed exclusively on them. The man holding Gabrielle's arm immediately let her go, and the two others edged nervously away; their eyes no longer holding confidence. Harry stalked up to the ringleader and – even though he was at least three inches shorter – bunched up his shirt and slammed him into the brick surround of the small area. "I suggest you get the hell out of here before I show you just how much pain I can inflict on you."

He was angry, yes, but he knew that that alone wouldn't be enough to ward off enthralled hormonal males, and so he had brought forth the picture of Bellatrix's taunting face to the front of his mind. It was more than enough to scare the absolute living daylights and lust out of the three men, and the moment Harry released their leader they scurried from the café and ducked out of sight as soon as humanly possible. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath before practicing Occlumency to calm himself, and then opened them again before returning to his seat opposite Gabrielle, who was looking at him with wide eyes. He was surprised but happy to see no fear, but instead curiosity burning in her clear azure orbs, and he cracked his famous lopsided smile once more. "I forced myself to anger to that level; it was the only way I could avoid physical violence."

She nodded in understanding, but still looked a little awed, and Harry blushed – until a voice exclaimed, "Good Lord you weren't kidding!"

Harry looked up at the waitress, and smiled when he saw her gaping at Gabrielle. The young blonde looked at Harry with a question in his eyes and he shrugged with a smile. "I told her that I was sitting with the most beautiful woman in the entire world." She blushed a deep red and ducked her head as the waitress placed their Lattes in front of them, still looking astonished, and so it was only Harry that caught her pointing furiously at Gabrielle while mouthing 'SHE'S A KEEPER!' he chuckled and waved her off with a grin, and then smiled at Gabrielle who burst back into a full blush when she met his eyes once more. He smiled benignly back at her and shrugged, "I'm just telling the truth."

* * *

**Reviews would be much appreciated; I do so love looking in my inbox and finding some. Now my writing has been put on the proverbial back-burner until November 20th (three days after my final exams are finished) - but not to fear. I have 4 chapters done, so you'll get them by that point, and then I'll post more regularly after school is over and done with.**


	2. Chapter 2

**WhiteElfElder, you''re quite right in that Harry could take the romance too seriously, and crash when the holidays are over, but if you look at the tags of this fic in the disclaimer section of Chapter One, you might see how things are going to go...**

**Lily Incarnate, thanks for your review; as always it was uplifting :-)**

**Thanks to everybody else that reviewed, and I hope you enjoy this new chapter!**

* * *

Harry lay back on the grass and watched Gabrielle as she drew. The past week had been one of the best, if not _the_ best, in his entire life. Every morning he would work so hard at his chores that he didn't even need to go on his runs, before he would make a trip to the same store that he had before and recruit the very same salesman to outfit him with something new. In just seven days he had spent over nine thousand pounds, but he now boasted an entire wardrobe for every occasion, every season, and every formality. He had found the entire experience strangely liberating. When he was wearing such clothes he found it that much easier for him to accept his new personality and let himself be free; his confidence was advancing in leaps and bounds, and yet not once had he sunken into arrogance. He knew he looked smart; he knew he looked handsome; he knew he looked wealthy in an understated manner, and he liked it. After leaving the store wearing his purchases, minus the several suits he brought which he picked up on the way back to Privet Drive, he spent the rest of the days – including dinner – with Gabrielle.

Not once had she forgotten to compliment him on how good he looked whenever they met, and not once had Harry failed to make her blush by flattering her by telling her how beautiful she was. He had wondered after the second day what kind of relationship they had, and he truly couldn't figure it out. They were so comfortable with each other that they shared almost everything, much like the way he felt with Hermione, and yet it most certainly wasn't the same. He had complimented Hermione on how great she looked at the Yule Ball, but Gabrielle didn't look great. She made 'great' look like a piece of rubbish, and so Harry wondered further. He didn't feel the sudden, burning monster in his stomach like he did when he looked at Ginny Weasley…no, what he felt for Gabrielle seemed very different to that.

They flirted and danced around each other; teasing mercilessly to elicit the triumphant blush that they so sought to draw out of each other, and yet although it was done in a goading manner there was an element of seriousness to it that confused him, and if the flickers of puzzlement from Gabrielle were anything to go by then she felt much the same. They held hands on occasion, and when they weren't then they were at least touching in some way or other, and the hugs they shared were so very unlike any other person's. They weren't rib-fracturing like Molly Weasley's; they weren't desperate like Hermione's; they weren't immature like Ginny's; and they most certainly weren't like any he had ever received from a male. In fact if they were, he would have been very worried. Her embraces were soft, but more meaningful than Harry thought was possible to be conveyed through a mere hug. It told of the friendship she held for him; the attraction she felt for him; the comradery she shared with him; the fun she saw in him; and the trust she had given him.

He sighed and then smiled as he watched her charcoal pencil whizzing over the paper drawing yet another picturesque piece of art, and as he watched her subtle fingers twisting this way and that to manoeuver the pencil to bring the scene to perfection. His thoughts turned to the oddities in their indefinable relationship. Both had held back on some aspects of their lives; Harry with the full disclosure of the Dursleys, and she always shied away from talking about how the allure had affected her life – and he was fine with that, but there was something that she was hiding, and he didn't know what. A look always flickered through her eyes whenever he mentioned the Daily Prophet or the Ministry manipulating the wizarding public, and she seemed to change the subject whenever the matter came up – no matter how hard he pushed.

It had been that precise issue that had led to their first fight in fact. He had pushed for her opinion on the behaviour of the press, and how easily people had been manipulated by them, and the flash of emotion that seemed so familiar flickered across her face. She had tried to change the topic, but he had jokingly pushed for her opinion. She had come back with a more serious no, and he had had frowned before asking why. She had glared at him and almost growled that she didn't want to talk about it, and that had been the end of it. After that he'd never pushed that far, and after the near-hour of awkward silence they had apologised to each other the issue had never again been breached.

He groaned quietly to himself as he tried to remember where that emotion was in his memory, and then stopped on Sirius. He frowned to himself and then searched deeper into the emotions he had been feeling before he had come to grips with the entire situation. He had grown past the depression and pain that Sirius' death had brought, helped in no small part by Gabrielle, and so meandered through each event leading up to the current moment. He froze when he came across a memory from his first night back at the Dursleys, and a knot of ice formed in the pit of his stomach. Employing his Occlumency he virtually relived the memory, and froze it as he looked himself in the bathroom mirror back at the Dursleys. His eyes were drawn, filled with pain and anguish at his godfather's death. The hate for the Death Eaters and Bellatrix showed through as clear as day, and another emotion that was so obvious now that he had seen it.

Guilt.

His eyes slowly opened, and he regarded Gabrielle like he never had before; with cold, calculating suspicion. He closed his eyes once more after several moments, and then forced himself to bring back some of the trust and warmth; the care and the affection he felt for her before sitting up and looking at her again. She caught his movement out the side of her eye, and turned to him with a smile, but it froze half-way when she caught his expression. He saw a flicker of fear, quickly replaced with concern, but it was enough for Harry to finally voice his question. "Why are you here?"

His voice was flat and unemotional, and she found herself shivering at the sound; craving for the tone he normally spoke to her in. "I'm here for the exchange of course, I've told you that," she smiled at him with a theatrical roll of her eyes – but she stiffened when his expression didn't change. "Harry?" she questioned worriedly and he sighed before lying back on the grass.

"Gabby, we're friends – right?" She nodded furiously when she noticed him peering at her from the ground and he shuffled around so that he was propped up on an elbow. "And friends sometimes lie to protect their friends, right?" She felt a chill settle in the back of her throat as she nodded reluctantly, and his eyes bored right into hers. As much as she wanted to look away from the cold stare she couldn't. "Then why do I get the impression that you're hiding something from me, and that it's not for my protection?"

The coldness spread through her entire body, and she stared at him in shock as he stared at her. "I-I don't…" she looked at him pleadingly, and found herself nearly in tears when she saw no give in his icy glare. She couldn't lie to him – she wouldn't. His heart lurched at her heart-wrenching expression, but he forced himself to stay cold as she explained. "Harry, I- I'm so sorry!" He felt his heart sink, and a crack tear itself almost down the middle at her apology, but once more forced himself to listen. "I never lied to you Harry, I wouldn't lie to you! I really am here on an exchange, and I really did come here to learn about the English culture and language, but- but I also came _here_ beca-" she looked about ready to cry, and Harry wanted nothing more than to stride over to her and wrap her in an embrace, but he couldn't because he didn't know how far her betrayal went. "I- my father, he is the Minister of the French Ministry of Magic Harry and- and he knows abou- about the prophesy-" she saw the worry in his eyes and held up her hands in desperation, "I never heard it Harry! I promise I never did, bu- but he wanted to know where your loyalties lay in the war that's coming." She lowered her head in shame and self-disgust, and he felt a glimmer of hope that perhaps things weren't as they seemed. "Harry, I… once I met you again I didn't want to do it. I really liked being around you, and I didn't want to manipulate you." Her eyes snapped up to meet his, pleading and helpless. "Please Harry; give me the chance to explain!"

He stared at her for several long moments, his expression unchanged, but a crack appeared in his façade when he saw the tear trickle from her eye as the pain swirled deep within her sapphire orbs. He stood from his bed of grass and then walked over to her; the slightest hint of warmth peeking through his coldness. "Tonight at eight o'clock meet me outside The Long Bar in London. You'll want to wear something smart." She nodded furiously and he nodded stiffly before walking away from her. As he slowly made his way back home he furiously dissected what all of this could mean. From the sounds of it it wasn't a manipulation as such, more of an observatory mission. She had looked genuinely sorry, borderline distraught, and he had had more than enough experience with such emotions to know whether or not they were being faked. She had said that her father wanted to know, but he had not once divulged to her any information on his loyalties, and never once had she pushed for it – and that was one of the reasons that had swayed him to give her this chance.

He passed through the door to the Dursleys without realizing that he had forgotten to change back into the pitiful hand-me-downs he was expected to wear, and tromped up the stairs lost in thought as Petunia stared at his retreating back in complete and utter shock. After locking his door with some locks he had purchased earlier that week he sat down on his bed and sunk into his brooding mode. After several hours and nothing at all to show for it he sighed and stripped down to his underwear before unlocking his heavily spelled and protected wardrobe – another development in the past week – and donned his smartest dark jeans, a pair of stylish black leather shoes, a white collared shirt and his black sports coat. He rummaged around for a while until he found the aftershave he wanted, activated the runes and protections on his room once more, and then trudged back downstairs…walking right into Petunia once again. She blanched at his appearance, and then turned her head to the side before yelling, "VERNON!"

Harry snarled at the squeal and stopped half-way up the stairs to await the appearance of the fat, short-tempered man that constituted his Uncle. He waddled into view a moment later glaring at Petunia for interrupting the watching of his favourite TV show, but his complaint died in his throat when he followed her eyes and saw his supposedly good-for-nothing nephew standing there looking like a very mature and influential young man. "BOY!"

"It's Harry," the young wizard shot back dryly, "and I'd appreciate it if you didn't launch spittle halfway up the stairs. These shoes are new, and I'd quite like to keep them looking that way."

"Why you little shit!" yelled the irate man, and he started up the stairs towards Harry – until the young man raised his hand. Vernon paused, and then started forwards again…at least until a thin beam of yellow light burst from his palm and hit him dead in the chest.

He yelped in pain as the stinger's effect made itself known, and Harry snarled at him. "I can do a lot worse than that without a wand Vernon, and I won't get expelled for it either. Now you both go back to the lounge and leave me the hell alone, or I show you what it feels like to be boiled alive by an overpowered warming charm. Oh it'll hurt me too; that kind of magic I'm not used to commanding wandlessly, but it'll hurt you far, far worse." He returned the glare easily, "So make your decision."

After a tense stare-down Vernon growled like a feral dog and retreated to the lounge while Petunia looked ready to faint. Harry breezed past her, "I likely won't be back until early morning, so cook your own dinner and breakfast for once because I'm likely going to be too bloody tired to do the latter in the morning." She gaped at his order, and watched as he disappeared out the door and down the street. Ignoring the sometimes flirtatious glances from various young women, and some older ones as well, he made his way into the town proper and hailed a taxi before giving the driver the address. He peered at his watch and sighed; in just over an hour he'd be talking with Gabrielle and seeing what she had to say…or he'd be engaged in an awkward silence, but he sincerely hoped not. Against all that his brain was telling him, that he shouldn't be bringing more people into his crazy, dangerous life, his heart wanted to be able to confide in her, and he knew precisely which side was winning.

An hour and five minutes later he arrived outside of the blue-lit, modern and upscale bar, and after paying a rather hefty toll he closed the door behind him and stepped forwards towards it. A quick glance at his gold watch told him that he was ten minutes early, and so he was surprised when he saw a young woman making her way over to him. He could tell by the way she moved that it was Gabrielle, and even though he was uneasy and untrusting he still couldn't deny her beauty. A shimmering blue gown cascaded down her body; a slit up the side showing off her creamy, perfect legs which ended in a pair of two inch, elegant heels. He let his eyes roam a bit as she neared; in the darkness she wouldn't see where he was looking, but drew his eyes to hers when she came close enough. She seemed uncharacteristically nervous, which wasn't an overly big surprise considering the circumstances. "Hi," she greeted him awkwardly, and he nodded civilly to her before offering his arm.

She looked up at him in surprise, but her face fell when he said, "For appearances sake." She missed his muttered, "For the moment," as they walked to the entrance, and after being greeted by a bouncer who looked at the two transfigured IDs that put them both as eighteen years old provided by Harry, the two walked inside. They were immediately seated in a discreet corner overlooking the stunning courtyard, and Harry quickly perused the wine list and ordered two glasses of Isole e Olena, Cepparello 1993 – making Gabrielle raise an eyebrow at his knowledge. The pair sat in silence as they waited for their drinks, and several minutes later the man returned and asked for their orders. Gabrielle looked tentatively at Harry, and he made a gesture for her to go ahead. She ordered the cheapest meal on the menu, and Harry leant forwards when the waiter looked to him. "She's just being shy. Two of the Chef's Special thank you."

The waiter smiled and nodded his head, trying in vain not to gawp at Gabrielle, and then made his way back to the kitchen to relay the order. Gabrielle looked at him in confusion; although he hadn't spoken more than three words to her the entire evening he was being far more pleasant than she had anticipated. "Before we start Gabrielle," she jolted at his voice, but then latched onto what he was saying like a lifeline, "I want to say that you once again prove me wrong. You are more beautiful tonight than I have ever seen you before in my life, which once more requires me to say that you are the most stunning woman in the entire world."

She gaped at him as a huge blush spread over her face, and he sent her a small smile; a far cry from the ones they had been sharing the day before, but it did have a hint of warmth that she hoped signified a chance of redemption. "Thank you," she muttered, and he nodded.

"I'm just telling the truth." She let out a small smile of her own as she sipped at the wine he had ordered, and couldn't help but let out an appreciative moan at the splendid taste. He did the same before sitting back in his seat and staring at her. "Today really hurt me Gabby," her heart soared at the use of his endearment for her; one she hadn't ever let even let her parents or sister use, "more than you can imagine. I don't know why, but I trusted you with nearly everything. In just a week you found out what it took three years for my best friends to wheedle out of me, and that kind of trust doesn't come easy to me."

She lowered her head and nodded, but then locked eyes with him again; her eyes equally as pleading as they had been that afternoon. "Harry, can I explain?" He nodded, and she made sure that she didn't break eye contact with him at any point as she spoke. "My father can be a very persuasive man, but I knew from the moment he asked me to find out your loyalties that it would be difficult for me. Since you saved me I've always looked up to you. I wondered what it would be like to see you again; whether you'd remember me or not, and whether you'd even want to be around me. The moment I saw you last week I knew that I wanted you to be my friend. You were so much more than I already thought I knew you to be, and that was jolting in itself." She chuckled somewhat bitterly, "My father grows impatient with me. I received an owl yesterday which was less of a question and more of an order as to why I hadn't gotten him the information he wanted."

Harry's eyes darkened almost imperceptivity, but Gabrielle had come to know those eyes so very well and so didn't miss it. "Did he threaten you?"

She shook her head, "No, he would never do that. He is impatient is all; he is worried about this war that approaches, and fears for the fate of the people that rely on him to lead." Harry's posture relaxed and he nodded; his eyes showing a little more warmth and understanding than they had previously. She took a deep breath, and then continued; her eyes begging him to believe her. "I swear on my life that the last week I have never once tried to manipulate you; I only wanted your friendship and companionship."

A small flash wiped over her, and Harry looked at her with something akin to shock. When she didn't drop dead he fell back into his chair with wide eyes. "Well that made this whole ordeal a little bit easier to understand, and in just a moment you've regained every single ounce of respect that I had for you." Her eyes widened, and he sent her that familiar lopsided smile of his as tears began running down her cheeks. An instant later he rocked back on his seat to absorb the impact of the younger Delacour powering into him, and he smiled into her hair as he closed his eyes and breathed in her familiar scent. "I'm sorry I doubted you Gabby."

She shook her head and cried even harder, eliciting some frowns from other patrons, and some jealous looks from others. He ignored the latter, and sent apologetic looks to the former – before staring murderously at the waiter who had reappeared with their meals. As he placed them on the table he stared blatantly at Gabby's bum, and a moment later found himself crouching over and scurrying away when a perfectly aimed stinging hex collided with his groin area. After several minutes of cooing in her ear she pulled away and wiped at her eyes with a watery but joyous smile on her face which made his heart skip a beat. "Thank you."

He smiled right back and escorted her back to her seat before returning to his own and leaning over so that his hand lay over hers. "There's no need to thank me; there was nothing to forgive in the first place."

She chuckled and took another sip of wine, "And I know that you'll worry until I accept you apology. Apology accepted Harry." He grinned and she picked up her knife and fork after he did – but paused before placing the delicious looking morsel in her mouth. "I'm very happy to have my best friend back." The beaming smile that he sent her she was sure would be enough of a memory to power the strongest corporal patronus she had ever cast. For the rest of the night the two chatted away; eager in even their minute split to catch up and share even more of their lives with each other. After finishing their meal nearly two hours later, and drinking two more glasses of wine each they walked hand in hand to the road before hailing a taxi, and whispered to each other the entire drive back; their hands never leaving each other's. Finally they pulled to a stop, and Harry told the driver to wait as he escorted Gabrielle to the door of the small but modern apartment.

She turned around as she inserted the key into the lock and smiled brightly at him, and the look in her eyes signified that something had changed in their relationship. Harry was more than happy to return that sentiment, and she quickly leant down and placed a kiss to the edge of his mouth. They both blushed heavily at the action, but their dual smiles belied their true feelings on the action. Harry stammered for a moment, but then took in a deep breath before smiling up at her. "I'll see you tomorrow at the park at the normal time then?"

She nodded with another smile and then melted into his embrace when he offered it. He kissed the top of her head, and her eyes widened into his chest; for him to initiate a show of affection was something that had never happened before, and she felt a surge of warmth roll through her when she realized that it was his way of telling her that he knew something had changed, and that he was accepting it. The two parted after several long moments of revelling in the new, unexplored feelings that they held for each other, and then reluctantly broke contact with each other. She smiled at him as she opened her door and stepped inside, and he took a polite step back as he beamed at her and nodded. She did the same back, and then closed the door before giving him one last delighted smile and disappearing from view. Harry returned to the waiting taxi and gave him his address in Privet Drive before leaning back in the seat with a silly grin on his face. The taxi driver peered over his shoulder with an approving look, "You've found yourself a keeper there."

Harry smiled back and nodded as he closed his eyes, "So I'm told."


	3. Chapter 3

Harry awoke from his slumber feeling something less than restful. He peered at his watch, and then at the fading sun with a frown on his face. After a night like last night, and the joy and happiness that he both felt and had seen in Gabrielle from the change they had experienced, he knew that she wouldn't have missed their meeting unless something very important had come up. He had the feeling that she'd even tell her father to go away if he had been the one to interfere, which only left one option left. He broke into a run, and several minutes later he arrived at her apartment in the centre of Surrey. He looked it over with a careful eye and then, upon seeing nothing out of place, walked cautiously up to the door and moved to press the doorbell. His finger froze in place when he spotted a dark spot on the concrete at his feet, and he bent down before swiping his hand over it – his face paling when he saw the red smear that covered his skin.

Pulling his wand he wandlessly opened the door and slipped inside; his senses screaming danger and adrenaline pounding through his veins in an attempt to ready him for any and every impending danger. He cast the wandless silencing charm at his feet, and then pocketed his wand with a muted curse; if he was about to enter a duel then he'd fight to the death, and the last thing he wanted was Mafalda Hopkirk berating him via post about using the Avada Kedavra. He was sure that'd go down like a tonne of bricks with the Ministry, and Hermione when she found out. He didn't even want to entertain the thought of what Dumbledore would do. He crept up the stairs, trying his level best to keep his breathing as soundless and slow as possible, but he found that increasingly harder and harder to do as progressively more and more adrenaline was pumped into his bloodstream. He reached the living floor and peered around the corner into the expanse beyond; his eyes scanning everything; searching for anything that could mean that there was an enemy in the room.

Seeing nothing he stepped forward into the room, and it was then that he was sent flying to the other side of the room before crashing violently into the wall. Struggling to his feet he repaired his cracked glasses and spun around wildly trying to find his attacker. He saw nothing, and then his seeker reflexes went into overdrive as his hand snapped outwards and caught the clawed fingers that had been moving to decapitate him. A moment later his hand shuddered and a beam of blue coursed from his hand to slam into his opponent and sent them flying brutally to meet the same end that he had moments before. Harry faced the robed man with barely restrained fury in his eyes as he picked up the unmistakable taint of a recent apparition by a dark creature. The man stood to his full height after a moment and glared at Harry with his deep crimson eyes, and Harry snarled at the Vampire with nothing short of a want to kill.

The pair circled each other; hands outstretched and teeth bared in a primal fight for dominance, but neither gave, and that was when they sprung. Harry felt the fist brutally power into his stomach, and choked as he was sent across the room once more; his vision blurring in pain and black creeping in on the edges of his vision. He forced a deep breath into his lungs once more and watched as the Vampire stalked closer. It had become quite clear that strength-wise; reaction-wise; and speed-wise he was outmatched, and so he used the only thing that he knew he possessed in abundance. He let the fury of the knowledge that Gabrielle had been kidnapped by these monsters to run through him, and a moment later turned his palms on the creature and let loose with a barrage of spells that were designed to wipe one off the face of the Earth. The Vampire's eyes widened at the action; he had never been told to expect such power, and wandless at that, in retaliation, and so hurriedly dodged the deadly wave of curses and hexes that came at him.

As much as he tried to get closer to the teen he couldn't without being the target of an inescapable barrage of wild spellfire the likes of which he had only heard of from his sire, and so he settled down to wait until the youth wore himself out; if there was one thing a Vampire knew how to do it was waiting. What he wasn't counting on was a show of self-control, or underhanded sneakiness. The spellfire stopped as suddenly as it had started, and after several seconds he peered around the corner to see what was happening. He grinned when he saw the teen wavering on his feet; his hands and arms shaking with fatigue; and his eyes squinting to see through the haze that was likely to be his vision at that moment. He scurried from his hiding spot as the young man looked the other way, and his teeth curled back from his fangs when he was near enough to hear the youth's heart pounding furiously in an attempt to regain combat readiness.

After several seconds of preparation his leapt and it was when he saw the sharp eyes lock onto his that he realized that he had just made a very grave mistake. He screamed in complete agony as the yellow curse impacted upon him, and the youth stood above him and forced his power into him. After what seemed like a lifetime, but what in reality was only a matter of seconds, he found himself bound with steel ropes and chains and a hand firmly against the top of his skull. He knew at that moment that any wrong movement would mean immediate death of torture, and so stilled his struggling immediately. The young man above him panted with exertion and pain from the extreme amounts of magic he had forced through his body, but it was clear through the fire in his eyes that he had more than enough magic left to fry him where he stood. "Vampire," Harry spat, "I wondered at first why you avoided the window; those last rays of sun could have done you quite some damage." He glared furiously at the youngling, and then began questioning him. "What is your name?"

Seeing no harm in the question he answered, "Shiveen."

Harry rolled his eyes, "No doubt you abandoned your true name years ago." He fixed the Undead with his stare once more, "Why did you take Gabrielle Delacour?"

The Vampire remained quiet, and after a moment felt his wand removed from his robes…after which he once more fell under the Cruciatus curse. He screamed himself hoarse, and after thirty long, agonizing seconds Harry released him from the agony, wincing himself as his nerves screamed out for mercy against the powerful magic. "Why did you take Gabrielle Delacour," he repeated calmly, and the Vampire shivered; that voice was more intimidating than the yelling.

"T-the Minister wanted her as…" he trailed off after a moment and Harry growled before yelling the curse yet again.

The screaming rang in his ears until it petered off into a gravelling cry as the Vampire's voice gave out, and he released the spell once more. "I will ask this once more, and if you don't answer then you'll wish you'd never been turned. Why. Did. You. Take. Gabrielle?"

He had to lean down to hear the whisper, "T-t-the Min-Minster wanted her as ran- ransom to force M-Minister D-Delacour to stop p-pushing for a t-team to h-help train Harry Potter a-and take the D-Dark L-l-lord out."

Harry nodded thoughtfully, but then quickly turned back to the Vampire with a dark glare, "Where did they take Gabrielle?"

The crimson eyes widened, "I can't t-tell you su-such a thing!"

Harry's eyes bored into his and he scowled dangerously, "You can, and you will. If you do not, I will kill you here. If you do, then I will allow you to go free so long as you swear an oath on your life, magic, and soul that you will never turn another, nor feed of anybody who has not murdered for pleasure, nor attack me or my friends." The Vampire sunk into thought, but was quickly snapped out of it by a very, very angry young wizard. "I do not have TIME to wait for you, make your decision now or die!"

After a very short pause, and a quick calculation of the possibility of surviving Harry's threat, the Vampire spoke; self preservation was far more important than loyalty to an equally unfaithful clan. "Very well," he rattled, "I will take you there, but I will need to leave you immediately else I will be killed for my betrayal." Harry nodded pointedly at him, and then stepped back before throwing the Vampire his wand and watching him dangerously. After the oath had been sworn, and a flash of light bound the creature to the promise, Harry lowered his hands and then cast a minor healing spell on him – much to the Vampire's surprise. Harry just glared at him and held out his arm. Seconds later, after a nauseating ride through what felt like a vacuumed tunnel, Harry found himself standing on a dock. The Vampire stepped back from him, and with a nod and a small squeak he was left alone in a foreign place where a rogue Vampire had said Gabrielle was. He almost cursed himself aloud for his stupidity and apparent need to trust people, but quashed the thought as he recast his stealth charms and walked forwards; now was not the time to be bitching about his less desirable traits. When he reached the end of the dock he saw a sign, and when he noticed it was written in French he pulled out his wand; it was a safe bet that the Ministry sensors didn't stretch as far as the French Coast.

He snuck forwards, feeling the hackles rise on the back of his neck at the lack of life in the town through which he walked, and each and every small squeak of a long deserted wooden sign or a scurrying rat made him snap out his wand at the noise. He thought he saw movement several times, but whenever his head whipped to the place he thought he had seen it there was nothing but inky blackness. The knowledge that Vampires worked best in the dark was not at all a reassuring thought to the young man as he stalked forwards with his entire being set on the anticipated battle that would soon come to fruition. Once more adrenaline pumped through his veins, but he ruthlessly pushed away the shakes that accompanied them, and worked on calming his thundering heart so that his senses weren't clouded.

Even if they hadn't been he wouldn't have noticed the flicker of black behind him as it leapt, but he most certainly knew he was in trouble when he was slammed bodily into the ground and was left looking up into the fanged mouth of a Vampire. Pressing his hand to the woman's chest he yelled out "REDUCTO!" and with a fine powdering of red vapour the Vampire ceased to exist. Silence reigned in the realm of darkness as Harry staggered to his feet and summoned his wand, and then all manner of hell broke loose. Harry's eyes immediately recognized at least five opponents, and as he ducked under a lethal clawed hand and spun around he caught sight of four more. Nine incredibly fast, incredibly strong, and Merlin only knows how experienced opponents, all dark creatures, and with a keen affinity for the night.

The only thought running through Harry's head was '_Survive!'_ Thinking just wouldn't do; instinct was the only way at all possible to come out of this duel even remotely unscathed, and so he moved. Immediately one Vampire found himself reduced to a similar state as his clanmate, except by the end of Harry's wand, and another was sliced in half by a wildly cast Diffindo that Harry ducked from another Vampire. He fought and fought, dodged and killed and ducked and slayed, but all good luck had to come to an end – and for Harry it was the worst end possible. He watched with a detached sense of morbid fascination as the fangs of one of the Vampires pierced his wrist and sunk deep into his veins and arteries, and a moment later the head which had previously contained those fangs was reduced to gore as Harry's yell of pain tore from his lips and he fired a bone-crusher from point blank. Another leapt to bite him again, but fell to a desperate cry of "AVADA KEDAVRA!" Harry watched as the Vampire crumpled under the green beam, and then lost his breath as he was tackled to the ground by another assailant.

He coughed blood when a brutal fist impacted against his kidney, and the next fracturing several ribs with a sickening crack, but somehow managed to force himself to act despite the crucio-like pain that tore through his body. A weak kick didn't do much at all to deter the vampire for attacking, and so he was quickly on the recieving end of yet another barrage of lighting-fast jabs and attacks that left him wheezing and almost fainting from the pain. In a desperate last attempt to save himself he stabbed his wand directly upwards, and it dissapeared deep within the Vampire's eye socket. He watched as the evil creature crumpled to the ground with a pain-filled expression, and then turned to the last remaining clan member in front of him. As he clutched at his wrist in agony he bound the Vampire to a nearby post and forced the magic around him to do his bidding to make his struggling stop. The man froze; fear in his normally arrogant blood-red eyes, and Harry stalked up to him; rasping angrily, "Are you the last one?"

He nodded furiously, and Harry nodded with a sigh of deep relief. "Good." With one last spell the Vampire died; a conjured wooden stake banished into his heart, and Harry collapsed to the ground and screamed in agony as the venom from the bite spread up his arm and the agony from his broken body finally broke through the adrenaline induced haze. His body's natural and very welcome endorphins that had dulled the pain quickly wore off as the adrenaline was burned away. His muscles rapidly contracted and expanded, and he collapsed to the ground; shivering as his body tried to cope with the massive influx of venom, pain, and hormones. He whipped off his belt as a last resort and made a makeshift tourniquet, and bit back a cry as the pain from the bite was localized to only his arm. He had stopped the spread for the moment. He stumbled once more to his feet and walked forwards to the largest building he could see in the deserted town, and when he reached it he leant on the door and whispered a silent prayer to whoever was out there that Gabrielle was inside, and safe. He pushed agonizingly on the door and then groaned in pain as the tourniquet loosened and allowed a little more venom into the rest of his system. His eyes fogged as his heartbeat slowed, but he forced himself forwards into the room, and ordered himself to see properly. His vision cleared after several long moments, and Harry collapsed to his knees when he saw Gabrielle bruised, but there tied up against a pole in the middle of the barn.

He crawled towards her, and desperately loosened the rope until she fell into his arms. The familiar scent reached his nostrils and he hugged her against him as he shook with the painful tremors brought forth by the venom running through his veins, and a moment later he felt her stir against his chest. His eyes widened, pain forgotten for a moment as he pulled back from her and looked at her face. "Gabby, oh Merlin Gabby!" Her eyes fluttered open, and she let out a groan of pain, and he almost cracked a joke about what a bunch of killjoys they'd be at a party at that very moment, but all thoughts of humour disappeared when her eyes snapped open and she attacked him. He was so surprised he didn't even bother defending himself, nor even when a small metal knife skewered his arm, but the pain in his eyes was palpable. "Gabby," he muttered, and she froze just short of stabbing him once more.

When her fogged mind cleared from the terror and she saw who lay beneath him bloodied and bleeding she dropped the knife with wide eyes, and then a horrified sob tore itself from her lips. He reached up and smiled slightly as he traced her cheek, "I told you I'd see you today." She looked deep into his crimson eyes and sobbed again; this time the tears tracking clean groves though her grime-covered cheeks, and he cracked a grin. "And once again you prove me wrong," he wheezed weakly, "you're covered in dirt; you're hair's a mess; you're crying; you're bruised, and yet you're still the most beautiful woman in the world."

She shook at his weak tone, and then caressed his cheek with her own hand; smiling sadly when he nuzzled into it. "Harry, you can't leave me."

He coughed and blood speckled his lips as he snorted, "Trust me, I don't want to."

"Do you mean that?" He looked up at her; confusion showing through the pain in his eyes, and he thought for a second. Just as he was about to answer she stopped him; her own eyes filled with hope but also fear. "Do you really mean that Harry; that you don't want to leave me? Would you ever want to leave me? Answer seriously Harry, please?"

He closed his eyes for a moment, and for one horrifying moment she thought he had turned completely, at least until his heartbeat fluttered back to life beneath her fingertips and he spoke, "I couldn't think of a better woman to spend my life with."

She sobbed again, but this time in joy, and then hurriedly sank into herself; letting all of her barriers disappear and submerging herself in the Veela magic inside of her. She clutched at her Heart Chord; the most important part of a Veela, and immediately sought out the life beneath her. She could see it; a faint spec, but it was there, and she hurried to attach the loose end of the glimmering strand of magic to it. It seemed to reject it; twice it pulled away from the strand like it was afraid, but finally it allowed itself to be tamed and fused itself; merged into it.

In the small barn on a quiet night in the middle of June, a light engulfed two young adults before pulsing as the two bodies moulded themselves to each other and they unconsciously wrapped each other in a tight embrace.

It was several seconds later that the screams started.


	4. Chapter 4

**I apologise for, using the Christchurch buzz-word, 'munting' the French language beyond all recognition. I don't know French, and I used google translate for whatever I do 'say' in French. This applies to all later chapters as well, so please - no complaints about my abysmal skillz yo; I just intended to get the French atmosphere in there. Definitions (where applicable) will be at the end of the chapters where French is used.**

* * *

Pain.

Harry had known pain in his life; in fact he could almost guarantee that he was the most versed in the concept out of all of the students at Hogwarts, but nothing had prepared him for this. The last sight he had seen before it had overcome him had been Gabrielle hugging herself tightly to his chest, and as lava flowed through his veins and shudders of complete agony tore through his muscles he held desperately onto her; drowning himself in her scent; remembering how she looked at him. It was all he could do to not fall into madness, and after what seemed like an eternity in hell he had known no more. It was to darkness that Harry opened his eyes, but it cleared quickly and he looked up at the delicately embroidered canopy above him in confusion – before groaning slightly when he moved. "Did anybody get the number of the lorry that ran me over?"

He jerked at the sound of his voice; it was deeper, smoother, and it was at that moment that the memories flooded back into his mind. His eyes widened as he remembered fighting the vampires and getting bitten, and his eyes flitted quickly down to his wrist where the twin puncture marks were. His face paled when he saw the two white scars there, and he looked around the room with his senses stretching out to search for any threat. The room was huge; at least five times larger than his bedroom at Privet Drive, and decorated like pictures he had seen of the Royal Palace. Grunting as he pulled himself up to a sitting position he looked down at the black silk sheets and frowned; he highly doubted that any potential kidnappers would torture him through pampering. He looked around once more to search for clues as to where he might be, and his eyes caught onto a book on the bedside table beside him. He knew just by the look of it that it was French, and his eyes sharpened even further.

"So I'm probably still in France…" he murmured to himself, and then picked it up before looking at the inside cover. '_Gabrielle, Je t'embrasse ~Du grand-mère et grand-papa_' His eyes widened at the first name, and another rush of memories came into his mind; his finding Gabrielle, her attacking him thinking that he was a vampire, and then her asking him whether he would spend his life with her. Thinking back on it he was shocked at his answer to her question, but as he pondered it he realized that he truly had never met a woman who he would rather be with. "What did she mean by that?" He swung his legs over the edge of the bed, the pain having dulled to a small ache, and then raised an eyebrow at the developed muscles he was looking at. Considering that he'd had broken bones, and been in complete agony the last time he was concious he decided that one of two things had happened; either he'd been out for a hell of a long time, or... or he'd changed.

Deciding to get the whole picture he walked carefully and silently across the plush carpet and stood just out of view of the tall mirror. With a deep breath he gathered himself, and then stepped to his left. He was very happy to see that he did in fact have a reflection, but it was how he looked at that moment that had his jaw gaping.

Even through his fitness training he had never achieved the look he now had. There wasn't a hint of baby-fat on his body; instead there was only lean, powerful muscle that covered his frame. After he had finally come to the conclusion that he had grown around three inches and now looked like a model, he peered worriedly at his eyes. It was his eyes that he was worried about. Everybody had always told him how his eyes were like his mother's, and to lose the only tie he had to her on his body would have been devastating. He let out a sigh of relief when he saw the green looking back at him, although he had to admit that the faint glow was a new feature – a feature which made him wonder just what the hell had happened. Catching sight of a calendar he strode over to it, still dressed only in a pair of briefs, and stared at the first day after the crosses ended. According to that he had been unconscious for just over two days if he took the time difference into account, and he peered at the dark room around him. It was clearly daytime outside; he could see the faint glow around the edges of the curtain, and he looked down the inside of his left wrist with worry. He wasn't a _full_ Vampire, that much was clear by his reflection, eyes and-

His eyes widened, and he rushed back to the mirror before pulling his lips upwards with his finger and peering at what he hoped to be normal teeth. He let out a relieved sigh, but then found his breath hitching in his throat when his canines lengthened and sharpened in front of his very eyes. The moment he begged for them to go away they returned to normal, and he let out a shuddering breath – it was all nearly too much. "I'm not a monster," he whispered to himself, "I'm just different…" He looked back over at the window and took in another deep breath as he approached it. He stood with his hands clenching the material and closed his eyes, "Come on Harry, if you're still partially human maybe sunlight will just piss you off?" He sincerely hoped so as he tore the material aside and the sunlight hit his skin. He let out a primal hiss of irritation and stepped quickly back into the shadows, taking a deep breath when he realized that his fangs had made an appearance again. Digging deep he stepped forwards once more and he let out a small growl before looking down at his skin.

He wasn't burning, he wasn't reddening, in fact his skin wasn't changing at all – which was an improvement over what he had thought it would be like, but he felt like ants were crawling over his skin biting him, and it most certainly wasn't the most pleasant sensation. After standing there for several minutes he opened the windows and stepped out onto the balcony beyond, and the pain flared for a moment before settling back into an irritating burning across his skin. Forcing himself to retract his fangs he stared out over the landscape that faced him, and he smiled lightly. Beyond him, spreading for acres, were wine fields; their straight, methodical lines stretching for what seemed like forever; the warm air washed over his skin, and the smell of flowers and fresh air entered his nostrils. "Oh yeah, definitely still in France," he chuckled, and then ducked back inside; letting out a small breath of relief as the sunlight left his skin. He checked himself for any blisters; any signs of physical irritation at all and noted happily that nothing seemed out of the ordinary…besides being able to see perfectly in the dark, having glowing green eyes, and looking like he'd just stepped out of a Calvin Klein photo-shoot.

It was then that he felt noticed something that was more reassuring than he had ever imagined. He placed his hand to his chest, and a happy grin spread itself over his face as he felt the very slow, but very steady beat of his heart under his fingertips. And he was breathing. He felt a surge of hope run through him, and opened his eyes after several minutes of taking comfort in the fact that technically he was still alive. He felt a surge of worry roll over him as he looked to the book on the table, and made the decision that now was probably a good time to go for a walk. He walked over to a chair in the corner where he'd seen his clothes, and smiled slightly when he noticed that they had been washed. Pulling them on however, posed a problem because he had grown quite a bit, and so after several minutes of cursing and muttering he finally managed to cast a wandless adjustment charm; a charm that he'd only briefly read about in the holidays and had never bothered practicing. He finally managed to get it right, and after quickly pulling them on they adapted to his new size. Several seconds later the clothing set permanently to their new dimensions. He looked around for a few minutes in search of his wand, but then realized that wherever he was his hosts probably wouldn't like an unknown man wandering around with a stick capable of death.

They couldn't, however, remove his hands. He carefully opened the door and stepped out into the lavish hallway beyond, and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the way that wealth and power seemed to positively drip from every surface. He shrugged and continued towards the faint murmur he could hear; each to his own he supposed. It took three entire minutes for him to come across the corridor that the murmuring was coming from, and he peeked warily into it before ducking back into the shadows. He frowned and then looked at his hands for a moment, noticing that they were completely steady; a far cry from the adrenaline that should have been pumping through him at the sight of four heavily armoured aurors. Testing a theory in a manner which Hermione would likely berate him for hours about if she ever found out, he stepped into full view and sprinted full-tilt at the four men. He had made it halfway down the corridor before they noticed him, and he was ten meters from them when they began casting curses.

He almost laughed in excitement when he easily dodged the curses even as he was sprinting towards them, and then ducked easily under a brutal swing from the first man before sweeping his feet from underneath him where he landed with a thump and fell unconscious to a stunner that burst from Harry's hand. Feeling a force brush against a hair on his head he ducked, and the punch that would have connected with his temple instead flew past him and gave Harry the chance to launch upwards with a forceful upper-cut that sent the man into the air before he crashed to the ground like his fellow Auror. Harry faced the two remaining guards and clenched his hands before moving, once more revelling in the speed and power he could feel in his body, and engaged in a brutal hand-on-hand battle between his two opponents. He dodged a jet of green, remembering that the French Ministry allowed their aurors to use Unforgivables in self-defence, and then kicked the man hard in the stomach. The man in question was sent thundering into the corridor wall with a thud, but launched himself back into battle the moment his senses had cleared.

A superheated warming spell gave Harry the second he needed to knock out the larger of the two, and a moment later the remaining Auror, who he had pinned up against the wall with a horrified look on his face, was taking in the sight of Harry's fangs. "V-v-v-v-"

"Vampire, yeah…not quite. Where am I, and how did I get here?" A moment later a burst of light hit Harry in the back and he snarled at the just-conscious Auror who had pulled back the curtains. Seeing that Harry was not in fact burning to death the Auror promptly passed out, and Harry turned back to the man he had been questioning. "Look, I could've killed you twenty times over but I didn't because I know that Gabrielle is here. Just tell me, is she safe?"

The man looked at Harry in shock as the fangs disappeared and the emotion in his eyes showed worry, before nodding as he found his voice. "She iz here, and safe."

Harry let his grip loosen slightly, and he looked the man in the eye once more. "Is she hurt?" The man shook his head and Harry let out a sigh of relief as he placed the man back on the floor. He looked at the slight carnage around them and then turned back to the man with a sheepish smile, "Sorry about that; I got caught up in the fight."

"Oui," replied the man dryly as Harry handed him his wand back, "I can see that."

"So where are we?"

"Ze Delacour Mansion."

Harry's shoulders sunk further in relief and he nodded before pointing at the door. "Are they in there?" The man nodded, stiffening, and Harry shook his head with his palms outwards. "Hey, I woke up here and I just want to see Gabby's safe, okay?"

The man relaxed after several moments and shook his head as he rubbed his eyes and knelt down by one of his fallen teammates, "Fine, you can go in and see zem. Jean will kill me for zis, but I believe you are telling ze truth."

Harry smiled and nodded, "I swear that I am. Sorry again about your friends." The man winced with a nod and Harry walked forwards and opened the door. Immediately a stunner caught his eye, and his eyes widened as he ducked the red beam before hurriedly diving to avoid another. Several seconds later, with the same number of stunners having been fired he caught one of the beams in his hand where it fizzled out and died…which put a stop to the attack. His eyes flickered wildly to ascertain whether or not there was another oncoming attack, but then froze when his eyes locked with a familiar blue.

Before he knew what was happening he had been tackled to the floor with a delighted cry of "Harry!", and he wrapped his arms around the now-sobbing young woman.

He squeezed harder after a moment and buried his face in her hair as he pressed his lips to her scalp. "Gabby, thank Merlin you're okay!"

She mumbled into his shirt with a smile and he hugged her tighter as she calmed down. She pulled back after nearly a minute and he found himself staring into her familiar blue eyes, and she gasped when she took in how he looked after a moment. After gaping for several seconds she grinned ferally. "You look _hot_."

As the blush rushed into place he groaned and buried his head in the crook of her neck again, "Damn it Gabby!" She giggled happily and then pushed him back before pressing a small but tender kiss to his lips which left them both blushing like…teenagers. The clearing of a throat interrupted their staring into each other's eyes, and Harry finally took note of the three wands pointing directly at his head. He gulped, but then gaped when Gabrielle stood up, threw him his wand from her pocket, and then pulled her own wand before pointing it directly at the man; her face firm and stubborn.

"Gabrielle!"

Harry turned his head and noted the younger woman, before his eyes widened and he gave a timid wave. "Hi Fleur."

Her wand didn't waver from him, and her eyes were dangerously cold. "Get away from _ma soeur_!"

Harry was about to answer when Gabrielle stepped and rested her back on his body as she glared at her older sister. "Non Fleur, I will stay with 'im whether you like eet or not."

Harry knew it was inappropriate, and entirely the wrong time and place, but he leant down to her ear all the same and whispered, "You're right, you do sound sexy with your accent." She blushed beet-red and buried her face in her hands, and Harry let out a triumphant laugh, "Haha! Payback!" She turned around and hit him lightly on the chest and he forced a mock-hurt look over his face. "Ma chérie, you wound me!"

She snapped her head upwards to look into his eyes at his words, and even though the hint of mischievousness was still there she could see that he meant the first two. Another blush rose to her cheeks, but the smile on her face showed her happiness. "Je suis désolé, mon amour." (1) Her smile widened, "Je tombe en amoureux de vous aussi." (2)

He looked at her, shocked, and then shook his head with a wry smile, "One day I'm sure I'll understand what you're saying in French, but until then you'll just be riling be up when you speak like that."

She beamed at the knowledge that he loved the way she spoke, and then turned back to her family before stepping forwards. "Mama, Papa, Fleur, I wish to introduce mon cœur; Harry Potter."

Jean dropped his wand in shock, and Fleur looked like she might well suffer a heart attack at any moment. The woman who Harry assumed to be Gabrielle and Fleur's mother was regarding him calculatingly, and he felt oddly uncomfortable under her scrutiny. He stepped past Gabrielle now that the immediate threat was passed, and then walked to the eldest Delacour. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you Monsieur Delacour. You know, had I been the same man that I was at the beginning of the summer, then you'd probably be dead right now. I hate being manipulated, which is why I broke from Dumbledore - so don't get on my bad side." He held out his hand, "But I believe that we can work past that - so long as you never try to manipulate me again." The Frenchman nodded, and Harry gave a small smile. "And to answer you bursting question I am quite on my own side in this war which is coming."

"Enchanté" he squeaked, and Harry almost smirked before turning to the woman.

Before he could speak however, Gabrielle took his hand in hers, rattled off a sentence in French, and then dragged Harry out of the door, past the now-groaning guards, and up a flight of stairs before pulling him into a room and collapsing into his chest sobbing. Shocked at the sudden change he wrapped his arms around her back and hugged her, and smiled slightly when he felt her own arms embrace him as well. He didn't know how long they stood there, and to be quite honest he didn't care; the emotions rocketing through him at that moment, and the feel of her in his arms was indescribable. She finally let him go and wiped at the tears, and then led him to a couch overlooking the vineyard outside. She jerked when he hissed as the sunlight touched his skin, and then looked at him in worry. He ducked back into the shadows and gave her a slight smile. "It's irritating." Her eyes widened, and before he knew what she was doing she had pulled down the shoulder of his shirt and was staring at the skin that was now uncovered. "Gabby?"

"You're a Vampire," she whispered in horror, and he felt as if a block of lead had settled in his stomach. She jerked back at the emotion, and then stared at him in apology and a small smile, "Non Harry, I am not scared or horrified of you; I am horrified that you because one because of me."

Harry sagged in relief and then, much to her horror, stepped into the light from the window. She was about to yell in terror, but stopped herself when she saw him standing there looking mildly annoyed with a slight snarl on his face. He turned to her, giving her that charming smile, and shook his head. "I'm not a Vampire Gabby, but I'm not human either." He frowned and then cocked an eyebrow as he tried to see what she had seen on his shoulder.

"It is a mark Harry." He looked at her instead, and his eyes widened when he saw a tattooed pentagram on her bare shoulder as she smiled slightly at him. "All Dark Creatures have them Harry."

"Gabby, you're hardly a Dark Crea-"

"I am part Veela," she interrupted with a shrug as she covered the mark once more, "anybody that sees my mark and knows of the different kinds knows that."

Harry cocked his head and gave a small, curious smile. "I've always wondered, but I thought it rude to ask before. You're only twelve, and yet you look and act the same age as me...how is that possible?"

She nodded, and then hugged him tightly. Harry was shocked at just how right it felt, and although his instinct was screaming at him to get away from such intimate contact - helped in no part by the Dursley's treatment of him earlier in his life - he instead returned her embrace as she spoke from his chest. "I am a Veela, Harry. We are very sexual creatures, and we develop as such." He frowned, clearly still confused, and she hugged him tighter. "Each Veela goes through a phase when they are ten years old. We develop physically and mentally to cope with the awakening of our powers. A ten year old cannot cope with the affections and staring of virtually every male they come across, nor do they have the maturity to curtail advances by males far older than themselves. I _am_ sixteen, in every way but law. I am studying at a level one year younger than yourself, and I have the emotional maturity of women far older than me. My nature requires it."

Harry nodded, thoughtful. "It just seems odd that you come into your maturity, and are able to cope with serious and sexual relationships when you're just ten. In many countries that would be illegal."

She shrugged, but nodded. "You're right. In England it is highly illegal, but here your relationship with me is just frowned upon. If they knew what you are, then they would likely overlook the age difference completely; keeping dark creatures to themselves is encouraged."

"It sounds like France is far more accommodating to supposed 'Dark Creatures'."

She chuckled homourlessly, "Harry, the rest of the _world_ is more accommodating to Dark Creatures. Britain is the most bigoted and racist magical society on this Earth." Harry nodded easily in agreement, and she stroked his mark through his clothes. "But enough about me. _Your_ mark is different to mine, and if anybody with knowledge of the marks saw it then they would know you are a Vampire."

She pulled him back into the shadows and then hugged him once more, and he smiled as he rubbed small circles in-between her shoulders. "May I see it again?"

She nodded with a smile into his chest. "Of course, but only you."

He pulled the fabric off her shoulder and dragged her bra strap over so that he could see the marking in full, and he gently traced the black markings with his finger; eliciting a pleased mewl from the young woman in his embrace. "It's beautiful." He could feel her happiness at his words and smiled. "Why only me?"

She placed her hand over his which was still tracing the marking and he met her eyes, which were filled with a whirlwind of emotion. "Because we are bonded."

"Bonded?" He frowned and then sat her down before easily picking up a chair and moving it opposite her so that he was still in the shadows, "What does that mean?"

Her eyes turned fearful, and she averted them from his gaze. "W-when you found me you were in the middle of turning. By s-s-stabbing you," her voice cracked and tears gathered in her eyes, "the venom brought you to the brink of the change to try and keep you from passing on." She met his eyes once more, the familiar begging expression on her face. "T-that's why I asked you whether you would ever leave me, and w-when you told me you couldn't think of a better woman to s-spend your l-life with…" she let out a happy sob, "I was s-so h-happy, and so I bonded to you with my Heart Chord to stop the turn."

He sat back in his chair brooding, but when he saw her terrified expression he sent her a reassuring and affectionate smile. "I haven't changed my mind Gabby; I truly can't think of a better woman to spend my life with – this is just…it's so fast, you know?" She nodded sadly, but a beautiful smile was tugging at her lips at his confession. "What does this mean for us Gabby? What does this bond do?" She mumbled, and he leant forward to catch the word 'married'. His jaw slackened, "Married? Really?" She nodded, not meeting his eyes, and he sat back in his chair with wide eyes. "I mean, I'm not unhappy in the least," her eyes snapped up to meet his, filled with hope, and he grinned lopsidedly back at her, "but holy Merlin I wasn't expecting this Gabby."

"It was the only way to save you," she murmured, and his face dropped.

"Gabby, did you only do this to save my life?"

She shook her head hurriedly, her eyes near-frantic. "No! I did it then to save you, but we Veela know when we find our intended. If you hadn't been bitten then I would have waited months, maybe even a year before bonding to you, but I would have wished to bond to _you_ all the same."

His smile warmed until it was the happiest one she had ever seen on his face, and she felt it course over their connection. His eyes widened after a moment and he stared at her in amazement. "I can feel you!"

She nodded, and then raised an eyebrow. "Would you like it quick or detailed?"

"The former then the latter," he replied; eyes still wide and she nodded.

"We share an emphatic bond; our very life-forces are tied together, and due to our natures our darker traits are enhanced."

He nodded, trying not to splutter in shock. "Darker traits?"

She nodded, "For me it is my allure and passionfire, and I will likely be able to transform to some extent now. For you it's a little more complicated; you're alive. The turn was stopped, so I am unsure of your abilities."

He nodded, resting his chin on his clasped hands after a moment before humming. "I'm stronger and faster; I realized that when I fought your father's Auror detail." She nodded and produced a pad of paper from thin air much to his amusement. She smiled warmly at him and scribbled a note on it before turning back to him and he thought again. "The room was pitch black saves a tiny glow from the curtains, and yet I could see as clearly as if it was day. I've grown, and I have fangs."

Her eyes widened and she stared at him excitedly. "Can I see them?" He grinned and nodded, and before her very eyes she watched his canines transform and sharpen into twin points, and she felt herself heat up as she blushed. "You look really sexy." They disappeared almost immediately as a blush burst into full bloom on his face and she giggled before shrugging, "It's the truth."

"W-well that aside!" He pushed down his embarrassment, and then frowned. "I wonder if I'll need to feed on blood?"

She turned more serious and jotted down another note on her pad, "I wondered that too. You can stand sunlight then?" He nodded and told her about when he tried it out in the room he had awakened in, and she jotted down another note before sitting back and humming herself. "Well we can try getting you to eat and drink normal food, but blood is in the innate nature of a Vampire. I think you'll need to drink it, but not as frequently." He paled at the thought of drinking from somebody and she smiled at him before leaning over and falling into his lap; snuggling into his chest. "We have a system here in France; high security prisoners on Death Row are offered for that purpose. They have murdered, raped, and committed horrible inhumane acts; you won't feel guilty when feeding from them."

He felt a rush of reassurance from her, and sent one back with a smile. "You're right, I probably wouldn't."

She smiled and snuggled deeper into his embrace before, with a slight wave of her wand he found himself shirtless. He raised an eyebrow at her, and she grinned impishly up at him, "What? You're my boyfriend now, so I get to see you like this."

"Don't you mean husband?"

Her eyes softened and she smiled up at him. "This is going very fast for me too_ mon_ _Cher_, I don't think that either of us wants to rush this. I want to take this slowly so that we can enjoy falling in love."

He smiled down at her, his heart beating harder for a moment before returning to its slow, rhythmic pulse, and he nodded before leaning down and kissing her for the first time. She fell into the feeling of him; immersing herself into the emotions that were flowing into her from him, and melted into his lips as they moved tenderly against hers. Harry moaned slightly when she felt him trace what he assumed was his Dark marking on his shoulder, and immediately moved to return the favour. She pulled herself even closer at his gentle touch and was about to bury her hand in his hair to deepen their caress when the door slammed open and both of them broke away from each other's lips and stared at the woman standing there.

Gabrielle immediately covered his mark possessively; claiming it as her own, but it was too late to deny its existence from the woman. "Mama, you must learn to knock." Harry groaned and sat back in the chair before conjuring a t-shit to cover his bare torso, and then peered cautiously at the woman who was still standing frozen in the doorway.

A moment later she wasn't so frozen, and her wand was coming up to cast at Harry – but she found herself shocked when the doors slammed closed behind her, and she was disarmed by her own daughter. Gabrielle stared at her and caught the wand when it reached her, and then handed it to Harry for safekeeping before speaking. Her voice was dangerously low, and her allure was threatening to break free of its bindings. As it was, passionfire was licking over her fingers, and Adelynn took an involuntary step backwards. "You will not hurt him."

"He is a Vampire Gabrielle!" she screeched, and Gabrielle nodded.

"Oui Mama, because of me. He came to save me after I was kidnapped, and was bitten when fighting the coven."

"You fought a coven?"

Harry nodded nervously, "They took my Gabby."

Gabrielle beamed up at him at the possessiveness in his tone, and he sent her a small smile back before turning to the apprehensive woman in front of them. With a sigh he lifted Gabrielle into his arms and stood before walking back into the sunlight from the window. He stifled a hiss, made vastly easier with Gabrielle kissing his neck tenderly, and then looked at the older Delacour with a sheepish grin, "Not quite a full Vampire though. It seems that I acquired most of the advantages and not many of the disadvantages. I'm alive; my heart still beats and I still breathe, and although your daughter holds my heart I am complete."

Both women stared at him in shock, but Harry found himself supporting Gabby as she twisted in his hold and pressed her lips not in the slightest bit chastely to his. After several seconds of very enjoyable kissing they broke apart, and Gabrielle stared deep into his glowing orbs; her own filled with happiness. "I'm already falling in love with you _Cher_."

He bumped her nose with his and smiled warmly at her, "And I'm already falling in love with you too Gabby."

He placed her gently on the ground and then retreated back to the shadows to walk over to Gabrielle's mother, stopping a meter shy and holding out his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you Madam Delacour."

She hesitantly took his hand, and contrary to her beliefs she found it to be warm and comforting, not like some of the other Vampires she had met in her lifetime; their hands cold and dead. After releasing his hand she turned to Gabrielle and her expression hardened. "You have some explaining to do young lady."

Gabrielle's next words of, "I bonded myself to him with my Heart Chord Mama," set the scene for the next five hours, and eventually after calming Jean Delacour down and petrifying Fleur they managed to continue the discussion somewhat civilly. Dinner that night was somewhat stilted and awkward, and the only thing keeping Harry from bolting was the reassurance and affection that he was receiving over the bond, and as soon as they had sat there for nearly half an hour to confirm that Harry had no adverse reaction to food and drink other than blood he made a hasty exit. As he walked around the grounds exploring he worked on his resistance to the sunlight; slowly transfiguring his clothes from a fully covering outfit to a mere singlet and shorts. Just as he was taking off his singlet as the sun set he caught a beam of red from his left, and easily leant forwards slightly to avoid the stunner. He turned his head to look at Jean Delacour nodding approvingly as he pocketed his wand, and sat back on a patio chair to hide his mark from him; the intimacy he felt from only sharing it with Gabrielle was too special to lose.

A moment later Jean joined Harry overlooking the vineyard in the fading light and it took several moments for him to begin speaking. "I apologise for my behaviour both earlier on, and causing a strain on yours and Gabrielle's relationship in England. It was not my intention to manipulate you - Gabrielle truly wanted to see you again, and I helped her get a placement in Surrey. I only came up with the idea of finding out where your loyalties lay two days before she left. She didn't like it, and told me that she would never ask you, but would tell me if it came up in a conversation."

Harry turned to the man in surprise and then nodded with a small smile. "I know. She proved that to me the day before she was kidnapped by swearing an oath. I was ecstatic that what we had was real, and not just another manipulation in my life. As for your apology... consider it accepted." Jean's shoulders slumped in relief, and a small smile washed over his face. "You were just trying to do the best thing for your people, and I understand that all too well. As for Gabby…well Sir, I'd appreciate it if we could forego the threatening father speech." Jean raised an eyebrow in amusement and Harry gave him a small grin, "I've heard all about it from my dorm mates at Hogwarts, and considering you're the French Minister of Magic... well, your one would likely be terrifying."

Jean smiled good-naturedly and sat back on his own chair. "It is a shame Mister Pott-"

"Just Harry."

He nodded with a smile, "Then just Jean. I had it all planned out; I was even going to take you down to the dungeons and show you our interrogation room to scare you."

Harry chuckled and nodded, "That would have been awfully frightening I'm sure." He turned serious after a moment and leant up slightly to look the Frenchman right in the eyes. "You don't have to scare me or intimidate me to protect your daughter Si- Jean; I would never willingly hurt her. In just a week she's taken a place in my life that nobody has ever before filled, and even thought that scares me a little, the thought that she is going to be there for the rest of my life makes me feel incredible. She's such a unique person, and I feel privileged to have had her chose me as her bonded."

"You can bond to her too, you know." Harry raised an eyebrow, and Jean elaborated. "All Dark Creatures possess the ability to bond to another being. Right now you are bonded, yes, but only through Gabrielle's actions. For two dark creatures to bond each other…it is the greatest and strongest bond known to wizardingkind."

Harry frowned thoughtfully, "What would change?"

"According to historical records and diaries your emphatic bond would strengthen, but is more the connection of your souls that changes things. Your life-forces are already intimately intertwined, but if you bonded yourself to her as well then your souls and your magic as well…well it is embarrassing, but it is like sexual intercourse." Harry fought down his blush, and Jean sighed in frustration, "Your language doesn't have the words for it. It is a permanent vow of trust and binding, you must learn our language."

Harry smiled, "I intend to Jean." The man nodded, and then looked Harry over again.

"You said that you are on your own side in this war. Why, and what are your goals?"

Harry nodded thoughtfully, "I am on my own because I hate Voldemort, and Dumbledore is too senile and manipulating for my liking. He has a need to hold onto information until he deems it prudent to divulge it, and by doing so he gets people killed. He trusts too easily, or perhaps it is on purpose that he allowed Severus Snape to rape my mind, but I do not like his methods. My goal…it has changed now that I have Gabby in my life. I want to kill Voldemort and rid Dumbledore of his influence, but also I wish to have equality for all races – not just because I am a Vampire, or at least part Vampire, but because I wish to be able to marry Gabby someday."

Jean's eyes twinkled happily at Harry's answer. "I am different from other fathers. I understand that to break the Veela bond is fatal, and so I will not argue your relationship with my daughter, but I would not have been happy. I was not happy when I found out this afternoon, but I like you. You have my blessing to court and love my daughter." Harry's eyes widened at the Minister, but he nodded thankfully after a moment as the last vestiges of sun sunk over the horizon. It was several moments before Jean asked the question that made Harry tense, and it was clear that even he was uncomfortable with asking it. "Gabrielle...she was worried about you Harry. She seemed to think that you were mistreated at home. What can you tell me about that?"

Harry looked deep into Jean's eyes for several moments before sighing with a nod. "She is right. I lived in a cupboard for the first eleven days of my life. I was treated like a slave, and was beaten regularly by both Vernon and Dudley, while Petunia found little...accidents to be more efficient." Jean looked shocked at the calm way Harry was explaining the abuse, and the young Vampire shrugged. "What can I do now? I can't go back in time, and I have more than enough power now to...curtail their attempts on me should they try again."

"You can't possibly be telling me that you're going to allow them to get away with it?"

Harry nodded easily, leaning back in the chair as he did so. "Sure I am. If I went ahead and allowed myself to do all the things I want to do to them, then I'd be just as bad...in fact I'd be far worse than them." He sent the shocked Frenchman a wink, "Not that it stops me from fantasizing about it. Perhaps one day I'll pay them their due in a subtle way."

Jean was silent for several moments. "You are a far better man than I, Harry. If I had been treated in such a way, and then come into possession of such power...I do not think they would survive the encounter with me. Does Gabrielle know this?"

Harry shook his head and fixed Jean with a penetrating stare, "No, she does not, and nor will you tell her. I will share it with her in time; when there is no risk of any danger to them, and where I can calm her down. I want your word Jean."

The two men stared at each other for several seconds, neither blinking or giving in the least, but finally the elder Delacour's eyes wavered and he let out a sigh of defeat. "Fine, Harry, you have my word. I will not tell my daughter, but she will be very angry when you tell her - or, if I guess your intentions correctly, show her."

Harry nodded, confirming Jean's suspicions, and then returned his gaze to the faint glow tingeing the outline of the hills in the distance. "I know Jean, but I will not hide it from her. I will show her within the year, and from that point on I will share everything with her."

A small smile creased Jean's lips as he stood, and as he walked away, leaving the young man to himself, he called back over his shoulder. "Welcome to the family Harry."

He sat there alone for quite some time contemplating the conversations he had had during the course of the day - the most recent sticking in his mind, and he found himself smiling. He'd never been as accepted for just being _him_ as much as he had with the Delacours and the security detail, and he liked it. He liked it a lot. Finally night fell and darkness consumed the landscape, but he found himself quirking an eyebrow when he felt his senses stirring. As the darkness of the night deepened he could feel his magic and body reacting; relaxing and strengthening, and he stood from his chair before tentatively stepping forwards. He grinned when he felt the ease and feeling of rightness as he moved, and quickly broke into a sprint; his movements creating no noise but a slight swish as the air displaced around him. He laughed as he moved; his feet gliding across the grass and his body flowing and twisting in ways that he had never before imagined possible, but which felt so natural. He flipped and jumped; dodged and weaved around invisible opponents, and only stopped when he heard a rustle of fabric in the distance. He peered back over his shoulder and his eyes easily picked out Gabrielle sitting on the seat he had been occupying earlier that evening; smiling brilliantly as she watched him move back towards her.

"You looked like you were having fun _Cher_."

Harry nodded with an expression something akin to awe, "I just felt so…alive out there in the darkness." He looked her over and smiled warmly, "You look beautiful ma chérie." She beamed at him and he blushed with a shrug, "I asked your mother about some more French endearments."

She stood up so that he could lie back down on the chair before curling up beside him; cuddling into his warmth, and she kissed the side of his mouth as she smiled up at him. "You make me feel special." He smiled back and then wrapped his arms around her, and she nuzzled his chest with her cheek. "Papa is getting us to travel back to Surrey tomorrow morning."

Harry nodded, and then opened his eyes for a moment, "I will have to explain to the Dursleys why I was absent. Possibly the Order guard as well if they have noticed I was gone."

She nodded, "You were on a two day training course in acrobatics, organized by the Surrey L&G Acro Gym Club."

Harry chuckled and nodded. "That sounds perfect. Being bonded, however much I enjoy it, would not go down well with either the Order or the Dursleys."

"Are you sure you enjoy it?"

Harry thought for a moment and then smiled down at her, "Yes. I have only felt it for a day, but it's the happiest I've ever been. I can feel you beside me wherever I am, and I'm not alone anymore. The fact that you are the most beautiful woman in the world inside and out…yes, my Gabby, I can definitely say that I enjoy it."

She smiled lovingly up at him and then snuggled back into his chest. "Papa is going to pack a suitcase with blood packs for tomorrow, so you can learn when to feed."

Harry frowned, and she looked up at his mild disgust before stroking his cheek with a reassuring smile. "It is a part of you now Harry, a part of both of our lives. I will be there for you when you first feed, and I will not be disgusted with you."

He smiled thankfully, but shuddered again after a moment. "It just makes me feel a little queasy is all."

She nodded her understanding, and then smiled up at him. "Well you can at least still eat and drink, so that is a good thing."

He mumbled something and she smiled into his chest, "Are you tired _mon amour_?"

He shook his head and cracked open his brilliant emerald eyes, "Not at all, I just like holding you. Are you comfortable?"

She wriggled around until half of her was either draped or intertwined with Harry's body in some manner, and then snuggled into his chest before looking up at him with a slightly insecure smile. "Hug me?" He smiled and nodded before wrapping his arms around her, and he smiled at her cute little sigh. "Goodnight my Bonded."

He smiled into her hair and placed a kiss to her scalp as he peered out into the darkness. "Sleep well my Gabby."

**(1) - "Je suis désolé, mon amour." **_I'm sorry my love._

**(2) - "Je tombe en amoureux de vous aussi." **_I am falling in love with you too._


	5. Chapter 5

**WARNING!**

**There will be a sexual relationship between Harry and Gabby in this fic. Whether such an act will be depicted is yet to be seen - but be prepared. Gabrielle is essentially 16 in everything but law and records. I hope this doesn't put anybody off. Anyways, enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

Petunia Dursley loved order and normalcy to the extreme. She had been diagnosed with an OCD to that effect by a school psychologist when she had been called in to discuss Dudley's behaviour at primary school, in fact. Suffice to say that that deviated from what she considered normal, and so the poor woman had been screamed at for several minutes before campus security arrived to take her off the school grounds. She had just finished cleaning the lounge, and she smiled at the result; her hands on her hips and a hum of contentment in her throat. Ever since that delinquent freak had disappeared three days ago things had been perfect – well besides that one visit from one of them; Dumbledore to be precise. She had quite loudly told the old man precisely what she thought of the wonderful disappearance, and then threatened to call the police if he didn't leave. She had been ecstatic that not one more visit had occurred. She idly began preparing dinner as she thought of the menace of a nephew she had been forced to house ever since her idiot of a sister had gone and gotten herself killed. He was a constant reminder that normalcy didn't really exist; that magic was all around them just invisible to their eyes, and she hated that – and by extension him. In the middle of her musings a loud thump made Petunia Dursley look up from her frying pan with a frown, and when it came once more she put down her kitchen knife with a scowl and strode out into the hallway. As she opened the door she rolled her eyes, "We don't want to buy anyth-"

She froze when she saw the man in front of her, and he grinned ferally back at her as her heart and illusion of order and peace crashed down around her ears. "Guess what Petunia, I'm back!"

"HARRY?"

It was then that Gabrielle, at that moment with black hair, ducked under Harry's arm and peered at Petunia with a raised eyebrow. "This is your auntie? She doesn't look a thing like you!"

Harry cracked a grin and shrugged, "Aren't you glad? If she did then you'd be dating well below your class." He turned back to Petunia, and now Vernon who was staring at him as if a broom handle had just been plunged somewhere very unpleasant, and his eyes darkened. "Now we're going to go inside, sit in the lounge, and have a discussion." Vernon moved to strike him; his face puce and twisted in fury, but Harry growled dangerously, "Remember what I did last time? I've figured out how to use spells infinitely more damaging since then, so I'd get your walrus arse into the lounge right now before one of the people that guard this house decides to check on me." The fat man turned tail and waddled quickly out of view, his face suddenly very pale at the reminder, and Harry turned to Gabrielle with a small smile before taking her hand, "Shall we?"

She picked up the handle of the large suitcase and smiled back before entering alongside him, and after casting a series of locking spells on the case they left it at the bottom of the stairs. Without waiting for Petunia's escort Harry walked into the lounge, and Gabrielle took her seat on his lap the moment he sat down himself. Dudley, being the dumbest and most hormonal teenager in existence, immediately lunged at her, and quickly found himself victim to a blue curse which snapped him as straight as a board and silenced him at the same time. He fell over and hit the carpet, but his eyes were still fixed on Gabrielle. She curled her legs underneath her and tucked her skirt in-between Harry's legs and hers to make double sure that the disgusting teen wouldn't see anything sacred to her bonded, and then scowled at him before turning her attention back to a now-white faced Petunia, and a puce-coloured Vernon. "BOY!"

"SIT DOWN!" Harry roared, letting the chains on his magic go, and even he was shocked at the literal waterfall of power that seemed to cascade off him. Gabrielle, once she'd gotten over her surprise, beamed up at him and sent her pride over the bond, while the two older Dursleys promptly sat the hell back down…and the smell of urine came from Dudley. Harry wrinkled his nose and cast a freshening charm on the air around himself and Gabrielle, much to her thanks, and then turned back to his tormentors. "Right, this abuse ends right this very moment." He saw Vernon open his mouth, and got a flash of his thoughts when he looked into his eyes, but growled angrily before the man could voice them. "You insult my Gabby and I will not hesitate to hurt you." His mouth snapped shut and Harry smirked at him. "Good boy. I can now do magic outside of school without risk of expulsion, and Gabby can defend herself as well. If I so much as feel that you have attempted to hurt her then you can add my wrath onto hers. Am I understood Vernon, Petunia, Dudley?"

All three nodded, or in Dudley's case blinked rapidly in agreement, and Harry sat back in his chair; gently running circles over the back of Gabrielle's hand. "I will, from this point on, do no chores whatsoever; I have study to be getting on with. If you have any complaints, too bad. You will not come into my room, you will cook each night for Gabby and myself unless I say otherwise, and you will treat the two of us with indifference. That means you essentially ignore us. Ignore us, and we'll ignore you. Do we have a deal?"

Vernon looked on the verge of having an aneurism, but Petunia quickly saw that it was the best offer they were going to get, and so leapt forwards and shook his hand in a deal. Gabrielle smiled slightly, "Wonderful. Now I am Harry's girlfriend, so if that fat slob of a pig comes anywhere near me I will hurt him." She turned her eyes to the still gaping youth and snarled. "Vous avez le corps d'un chien et le QI d'une durée de cinq ans,"(1) she then flipped him the bird, and finished with a venomous, "Va te faire enculer."(2)

Harry groaned, and her venomous look turned coy in an instant as she turned to him, and he closed his eyes at her expression. "How the hell can you be so sexy when you're insulting somebody?"

She kissed him tenderly and then pulled back to look him right in the eye, the glint of something only ever shown to him present in her gaze. "Because I am your bonded," she muttered against his lips, and then pulled back and settled again into his embrace. Petunia was openly gaping at them, Vernon looked like he was about to explode, and Harry had knocked Dudley out with a stunner the moment he realized she was going to kiss him. Gabrielle raised an eyebrow, "What is the problem, have you English never heard of a romantic moment? Or are you just such a - what is the word Harry?"

"Slob," he replied helpfully, and she nodded with a smile before turning back to Vernon.

"Yes, slob, that you cannot have such a moment?"?" Vernon spluttered in indignation, and Gabrielle stood from Harry's lap, took his hand, and dragged him back out the door without a backwards glance. He smiled at her, and then lifted the suitcase easily over his shoulder before heading up to his room. When she saw the state of it she saddened, and immediately pulled Harry into an embrace. "Soon you will never have to come back here mon amour."

He smiled down at her and embraced her back, "It doesn't matter now; having you beside me changes everything." His words elicited a beaming smile from her, and he transfigured the broken desk chair in the corner of his room into a vastly more comfortable leather couch, much to her shock and his, and he looked at his hands with a raised eyebrow. "Apparently my core has been given a bit more of a boost."

Gabrielle tentatively sat down and grinned up at him when she sunk into the comfortable cushions. "Dark Creatures are more in tune with their wandless magic as well, so that could have something to do with it."

He nodded and then flicked open the slides on the suitcase with a shrug, "Perhaps. We will be able to see how much has changed when we begin studying." She nodded as he opened the lid, and then winced at the hundreds of blood packs that were stacked neatly inside. "Delightful."

She chuckled and then grabbed two of them before bringing out her untraceable wand and conjuring a glass. He turned away as she poured the deep red liquid into it, but turned to face her again when he felt her hand on his shoulder. He looked at the glass she had in her hand and then looked away after a moment feeling queasy. She turned him back almost as quickly; her fingers cupping his chin, and sent him a reassuring smile as the coppery smell invaded their senses. "You need to drink Cher. It is a part of you now, and I will never condemn you for it, but you need to do it to keep at full strength." He nodded his head reluctantly, and she gently lifted the glass to his lips. She noticed his shocked expression and she lowered it for a moment as she smiled lovingly at him. "I am with you for the rest of my life. I want to help you get through this; I want to be a part of every part of your life, including the parts you do not like. This is one of those times, and since it's a part of you I will stand by you."

He gaped at her, and then sniffed suspiciously before pulling her into a hug. She smiled into his shoulder and then watched as he gathered himself before raising the glass back to his lips once more. His eyes didn't leave hers once as he slowly drank the thick syrupy liquid, and she smiled at him the entire time. He was surprised when she lifted the glass away from his mouth, and then swallowed the last mouthful with a raised eyebrow at the now-empty glass; only a small dribble of blood trickling back to the bottom. "That wasn't so bad." He smiled at her and then hugged her, but became shocked when she lifted her head and kissed him full on the mouth a moment later. It took several seconds for him to manage to break away, and he looked at her in shock. "Gabby, you didn't have to do that!"

She shook her head and licked a small smear of red from her lips, "I didn't, but I wanted to. I needed to know what it was like for you."

He shook his head in exasperation, but a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "I know that you won't back down, so thank you Gabby; you being here helped a lot I think." She nodded happily before digging out the illegal tomes from the bottom of the suitcase and stacking them on his desk. After several minutes they stepped back and looked at all the books with matching thoughtful expressions. "Which one do we start with?" They both leant forwards, scouring the titles for a few moments before Gabby pulled out the one on apparition specifically for Dark Creatures. Before she could explain her choice however, there was a knock at Harry's door, and both spun at the noise. The tapping came again and Harry withdrew his wand before stepping towards it. "Who's there?"

"It's Remus," came the quiet reply, and Harry was sure he would've missed it had he not possessed hyper-sensitive senses.

Harry sent a warning to Gabrielle over the bond and she made sure her glamour was firmly in place before nodding to him. He unlocked the door after a second's preparation and looked at the werewolf with a raised eyebrow. "Funny seeing you here."

"Harry?"

Remus gawped at him in shock, and Harry cocked his head to the side. "It's impolite to stare Moony, now how's about you come in before Vernon decides to test my threats to him." He dragged the man inside, and it was at that point he caught sight of Gabrielle who was relaxing on the brand new black-leather couch reading a borderline dark book on bonding rituals. Harry raised an eyebrow at the obvious hint and stored that information away for later. Hearing the surprised gurgle Harry turned back to his ex-professor and shrugged before walking over to the couch, sitting down and pecking his bonded sweetly on the cheek before looking at the chapter she was on and chuckling. "Yes dear, I've thought about it too. We'll talk about it later." She nodded happily and pecked him back, and they both then turned back to Remus. "Moony, say something or else I'll break the law and curse you."

The man shook himself out of his shock and then stared at him, "What the hell happened to you?"

Harry shrugged, "Growth spurt I suppose; it's about time I grew up."

"Well I mean that too, but I meant where the hell have you been? The Order's been going insane!"

"Harry was at a gymnastics camp with me." Moony turned his attention to Gabrielle, and even though his inner animal made him resistant to the Allure he was still taken aback at her beauty.

"I hate to sound rude but who are you?"

"I'm Harry's girlfriend." Remus' eyes boggled and she rolled her eyes, "You expect such a wonderful hunk of a wizard like Harry to not have a girlfriend? Are you mental?"

Harry tried to hold in his snigger at the gobsmacked expression on Remus' face, but didn't manage and instead disguised it with a cough. "Remus, may I introduce my wonderful, beautiful, and talented girlfriend Melissa Sanders."

She held out her hand pleasantly and he hesitantly shook it before looking questioningly at her. "What school do you go to?"

She laughed and shook her head, "I'm home-schooled, and I take my exams independently at the Ministry."

"I didn't know you could do that."

She shrugged, "Well I've done it."

Remus stared at her for several long seconds before turning to Harry. "Can I talk to you in private for a moment Harry?" Feeling Gabrielle's worry he sent a surge of reassurance and followed Remus into the hallway where he cast a series of privacy spells. "Harry, firstly you can't just go running off like that; the entire Order was running around the country trying to find you!"

Harry shrugged, "Remus, I really don't care. I was going stir crazy, and when Melissa told me about the camp it sounded pretty neat, as well as possibly benefiting my duelling skills."

"And that's the second thing! Since when did you have a girlfriend?"

Harry frowned at him, a tint of anger in his eyes. "No 'your dad would be proud of you Harry'? No slap on the back and a 'I think you might've beaten Sirius' most beautiful catch by a country mile'? No congratulations or encouragement whatsoever Moony? What the hell is going on?"

"Harry, Dumbledore-"

"Can piss off. I've already signed the emancipation papers that Sirius left me in his will, and I've claimed headship of the Black and Potter houses, so he has absolutely no legal pull to make me do bloody anything – let alone the right to spy on my life!"

"STOP BEING SO STUBBORN!"

Harry froze, and his eyes became icy at the man's outburst. "Remus, I will warn you once. I am in a bad mood for several reasons; firstly and foremost, I wanted to sit down with Melissa and read with her, and you interrupted that. Secondly, you are not my father, godfather, or any relation to me, so ordering me around only serves to make me less receptive to you, and lastly, I don't trust Dumbledore as far as I could throw him. Half an hour after seeing Sirius murdered I discovered that he'd known why Voldemort was after me since I was born, and that he'd kept the knowledge that I was the only one that could defeat him from me." He poked Remus painfully in the chest, striking his sternum perfectly and creating a cavity echo. "Where's my special training Remus? Where's my special treatment and duelling instruction? Where's my bloody Auror training? Melissa, for Merlin's sake, has prepared me more for facing Voldemort than any of you have."

"I noticed those illegal and dark books."

"What the hell else do you think I'm going to use? Rictusempra? Perhaps I should cast a levitating charm on a quill and poke him repeatedly in the eye with it!"

"Harry, Dumbledore knows what he's doing."

Harry regarded him with slight disgust and then pointed down the stairs, "Get the hell out of here Remus, before I'm tempted to actually hurt you."

"Harry-"

He froze when he saw the raw power chained behind Harry's eyes and gulped. "Remus, Sirius would be disappointed in your blind trust." Remus stepped back as if he had been physically struck, and Harry turned his back on him before walking back into his room and slamming the door. Gabby met him just inside and pulled him into a hug, and he returned it gratefully. They just stood there, silent for several minutes before releasing each other and moving as one to the couch; Gabrielle picking up the apparition book and snuggling into his side as they began to read.

Over the next two weeks the Order kept a close eye on Harry and the mysterious Melissa Sanders, and apart from the outburst at Remus there was nothing to indicate that the power and violence that the werewolf had claimed to have seen in Harry was anything more than a one-time occurrence. Tonks, having the afternoon shifts, reported to the Order that it was customary for Harry and Melissa to be at the local park for the majority of their afternoons after going for their runs in the mornings and eating out for lunch, although interest was certainly vested in the new, very smart clothing that Harry wore. Mad-Eye watched the pair in the evenings where they spent their time in Harry's room reading books and snuggling together, and even attempted to sneak into his room to see what kind of books they were studying at one point. Harry, who had been practicing morphing into shadows at that point and thus hadn't been visible to his magical eye, had dressed him down until he felt like a naughty schoolboy.

All of the mystery surrounding Harry's change in both attitude and appearance however, was too much for Dumbledore to allow, and so one evening when the young couple had just settled down to read their legilimency tome Harry looked up at the window with a raised eyebrow as a small brown owl smashed headfirst into the rather solid pane of glass. Gabby stifled a laugh in a pillow and he rolled his eyes before standing to let the hyperactive owl inside. He eventually had to stun the darn thing to get a hold of the letter, but when he opened it his eyes darkened in anger. She could feel the fury rolling off of him in waves, and hurried to his side to look over his shoulder and read the letter that was held loosely in his hands. Her own eyes narrowed, and she hugged him tightly before his magic could surge out of control.

* * *

_Dear Harry._

_It has come to my attention that you have been slipping by the Order guard to go into Surrey by your own. I warned you of the dangers of such excursions; you could easily be recognized and attacked by Death Eaters at the current time, and so you are forbidden from continuing these ventures. I was also alerted to the presence of a female witch by the name of Melissa Sanders whom you have allegedly befriended. I am also forbidding this relationship as it is likely clouding your goals for the future and taking your mind of defeating Voldemort. I have told the guard to, after tomorrow, remove her from the premises if she should arrive. I will not accept any deviation from these orders._

_Moreover, I have been informed that you have recently undergone a sudden physical change, and so I have come to the conclusion that Privet Drive is not the safest place for you at the moment. As such, tomorrow morning at ten o'clock Arthur Weasley will escort you to The Burrow. Please be packed and ready to leave immediately._

_Kind regards,_

_Headmaster Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore_

_Grand Sorcerer_

_Supreme Mugwump_

_Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot_

* * *

Harry was positively fuming, but forced his magic back as he buried his head into Gabrielle's hair and held onto her. "We'll still see each other Cher."

He shook his head and kissed her scalp again. "I don't care Gabby; I've just found you and I'm not about to let you go... and that bastard seems to think that he has the right to control my life!"

She smiled and shook her head into his chest, "Since the twins moved out you can have your own bedroom. Just lock it down, and every night come and visit me." She pulled back and stroked his cheek, "I'll miss you too Harry, just the same as you'll miss me."

He nodded slightly and then gave her a squeeze and a wink. "They said after tomorrow." She cocked her head to the side, and his smile softened before turning a little bit nervous. "Would you like to stay the night?" Her eyes widened at the question, but a moment later her eyes brightened and a huge smile spread over her face as she nodded.

Mad-Eye Moody was flicking his eye backwards and forwards from his paper to the house in front of him, and checked the schedule he'd made of Harry's movements. Right on time Harry and his girlfriend moved downstairs for dinner, and he watched the ghost-like figures move as he saw through the walls. He bit into the tough bit of jerky he always had on hand for his nightly stakeouts and wondered what they were eating. Just under half an hour later he folded his paper and made ready to intercept the young woman on Albus' orders, but frowned when he watched the pair walk back upstairs and into Harry's room. He watched their movements carefully and shrugged before settling down on his chair once again; they were probably just saying their goodbyes. An hour later and he was still watching them sitting on the couch reading, and he peered at his watch; his eyes narrowing when he saw that it was nearly midnight. Finally he saw movement at just before one o'clock, and watched as Harry packed his trunk – his head occasionally turning to talk to Melissa. When he finally closed the lid on his suitcase Moody stood up once again, but instead found his eyes widening in shock as he watched the spectres, no detail mind you, undress facing away from each other and then move to the bed. He sat back down in shock and wondered just what the hell had happened to the timid little boy he had seen at the beginning of the holidays.

Up in the bedroom Harry turned to look at Gabby, and she smiled up at him as she snuggled closer into his warmth and embrace. "I didn't think you'd ask me this early."

Harry smiled and kissed her upturned lips gently. "Me either, but I think the thought of not being able to hold your hand or talk to you whenever I wanted just the wakeup call that I needed."

"You know that I'm going to have trouble sleeping without you after tonight, right?"

He smiled and nodded, "I know, and although I don't really sleep I'll find it hard to be without you as well." She smiled up at him and he kissed her again; this time deeper and more meaningfully. When he pulled back her eyes were closed, a smile rested on her lips, and he hugged her tighter as she burrowed into him. "Sleep now, I'll wake you up in the morning."

***000***

"Is Harry here?"

The young man himself looked up from a dark ritual book he was reading on his bed and shrugged before slipping it into his sports coat's inner pocket. Easily slinging his entire trunk over his shoulder he made his way to the top of the stairs. When Arthur caught sight of him making his way down his eyes bulged and Harry just raised his eyebrow a fraction in return. "Morning Mister Weasley – nice day out, wouldn't you agree?" Leaving the man spluttering behind him he called over his shoulder as he walked out the front door, "Dudders, for the love of Merlin stop smoking marijuana; I've had to set up blood runes in my room to stop that damn smell from sinking into the walls and furniture."

It took several minutes for Arthur to gather his wits and catch up with Harry, and he looked the young man over in shock – until his thoughts were interrupted by a thunking and a gravelly voice. "Potter, where's your girl?"

Harry turned to Mad-Eye with an amused twinkle in his eyes. "Goodness Mister Moody, you're frightening me! You actually lost a mark?"

The scowl on the man's face was more than enough of an answer and Harry shrugged. "Not my problem that you can't keep an eye on things - excuse the terrible pun. It's none of your business, nor is it Dumbledore's, and yet you have 'forbidden' me from seeing my girlfriend again because of the war." He held out his wand and a moment later the Day Bus arrived with a bang – making the ex-Auror jump in surprise. As Harry stepped on and paid the fare for The Burrow he smiled cheekily at the Auror, "But then again, you got trumped by Barty Crouch Junior, so this shouldn't come as a big surprise."

Before the insults could start flying Harry dragged Arthur on and they disappeared with a bang. Harry easily kept his balance, and Stan Shaunpike and the elder Weasley were looking at him like he was mad as he pulled out a book with his free hand, his large trunk still slung easily over his other shoulder, and began reading while simultaneously dodging the beds and bags that flew all around him. With a bang they reached their stop, and Arthur yelled in shock as Harry was flung forward at the front window due to the sudden deceleration. Everybody, even the normally inattentive driver, watched as Harry landed on the window feet-first, still reading his book, and then dropped easily to the ground before walking out the door and onto the dirt road leading The Burrow. Internally he was stifling his laughter so hard that his diaphragm was starting to ache, but it was so worth it to see Arthur stumble off the bus and stare at him in complete and utter shock – dropping his jaw when Harry looked up from his book and quirked an eyebrow while stabbing at the page, "There's some really interesting stuff in this chapter."

They walked to The Burrow in complete silence after that; Harry happily reading about how to mask his apparition signature, and Arthur staring at him with a slack jaw. As soon as the house came into sight Harry closed the book, slipping it into his other heavily warded pocket, and looked around curiously while ignoring the dull ache that the sunlight was causing him. "Mister Weasley, how far do the wards stretch?"

Jolting at the sudden speech of the young man Arthur took a moment to gather himself before replying with a question of his own. "Why do you want to know that?"

Harry turned to him with a raised eyebrow. "Well Sir, I run every morning see, and I don't want to accidentally cross the wardlines and risk being attacked."

Arthur seemed to relax and smiled at Harry, "Ah, that's a good question then. They extend five hundred meters in every direction from the centre of The Burrow." Harry filed that information away for later and then smiled at Arthur and gave him a nod. He liked the man, but just like Remus he was naïve and entirely too trusting of Dumbledore. Harry saw George coming from a mile off, and grinned as he dropped his trunk onto the road and crouched into the classic low attacking stance. As soon as George released the paint bomb Harry leapt up several meters; dodged the projectile, grabbed the shaft of the broom, easily flipped himself onto it while simultaneously knocking the red-head off, and then swooped down, ignoring the now multi-coloured Arthur, grabbed his trunk and flew side-saddle to the front door where the entire regiment of Weasleys, and Hermione, were gaping at him.

He easily slipped off the broom and landed perfectly at the bottom of the stairs, and then turned around to watch George cussing about his prank being interrupted and used against him. His predatory grin turned wary when he saw the looks he was receiving, and when Molly pushed forwards to pull him into a hug he was very thankful for being part-Vampire; without that he would have cracked a rib. "Harry!" He found that he could in fact breathe in the hug; his muscles easily moving the woman, and when she pulled away she immediately began her fussing which, now that he had come to terms with whom he was, was not a hundredth as welcome as it once had been. "Harry that was dangerous! You could have fallen and really hurt yours-"

"George was approaching me on a seventy six degree vector, moving at approximately thirty kilometres per hour, while I was moving at three giving me thirty five kilometres per second's worth of acceleration when I grabbed onto his broom. I weigh seventy eight kilograms, which means that a force of approximately four hundred kilograms was exerted on my shoulder. My shoulder can handle nearly seven before it starts struggling. I then converted some of that momentum into twisting around and knocking George off his broom and my grip pressure was more than enough to compensate for the torque." Everybody looked mostly confused, but Hermione looked positively stunned as she ran the numbers through her head and realized that he was right…and that she thought he had calculated that in a fraction of a second didn't bother him in the least. Turning back to Molly he grinned, "In other words, I knew that I would be perfectly safe doing that manoeuvre."

Still noting the gobsmacked expressions he laughed and easily picked up his trunk once more and cocked his head to the side with his lopsided grin. "So where's my room?"

After an hour of fussing Harry finally found himself alone in his room, but only until Hermione burst in right as he was casting several high-powered wards. His wand froze mid-twirl, and he groaned when he saw her incredulous expression. "HARRY YOU CAN'T USE MAGIC!"

He looked at the tip of his wand, then back at her, and her expression told him quite clearly 'don't you dare'. Harry, all the while with a mischievous grin on his dial, gave his wand a minute twist, and a moment later a flux of colour spread over his walls as the ward sunk into place. Hermione's jaw gaped as he disobeyed her order, and a moment later she found herself dragged out of the room by his magic. When she was safely in the hallway the door slammed shut in her face, and Harry burst into laughter. Placing his wand to his temple he removed a silver strand of the day so far and dropped it into the waiting vial hovering in front of him. Turning to the window he smiled as Hedwig landed at precisely that moment and held it out to her. She clasped it in her talons, and immediately flew away to a destination that she had become so accustomed to delivering to. Harry sent a wave of affection over the bond, and his grin nearly split his face when he received a wave of pleasure and happiness back.

He saw his door flashing red and moved over to open it, dancing back into his room as Molly tried barrelling in to tell him off. Molly found herself on the receiving end of the ward defence, and much like Hermione, was dragged back into the hallway where she spluttered indignantly. Harry pulled out his wand in full view and conjured a chair before sitting down on it facing them, and leant forwards with a cheery smile. "Good morning Missus Weasley. I didn't get the chance to talk to you before because you were too busy telling me what to do and ordering me around. To be quite honest Missus Weasley," he nodded to Arthur when he appeared as well, and ignored the angry face of Hermione, "Mister Weasley, I don't really want to be here. For once I was quite happy, and enjoying myself in Surrey, however you were likely told I was in danger." He sunk back into his chair and shook his head before pointing at the wardline at the door, "I wasn't. And no Hermione, the Ministry aren't going to find out about me using magic; warded homes like this create too much interference for them to monitor who's casting what." He turned back to Molly and smiled, "Dumbledore decided that because I was actually enjoying myself, and learning stuff, and hanging out with a very pretty young witch I met, that it was about time to reign me in and bring me here."

"Dumbledore knows what's bes-"

"Okiedokie then," Harry smiled back. "That's cool, just give me a moment and I'll be down." All of the people crowded around the door were confused, but nodded all the same, and Harry closed the door with a signal to the wards before pulling his apparition book from his pocket and casting a number of dark spells on it to hide its true contents from anybody but him. A minute later he was walking down the stairs sans jacket; book in hand, and he plopped down on the couch before moving aside to make room for-

He froze, and then sighed sadly before stretching his feet out in front of him and starting where he left off when George had attacked him. "Why did you make room beside you?"

Harry sighed and looked up from his book to meet the eyes of his friend, who had her hand on her hips and had an agitated look on her face. "Hermione, you're annoyed because I didn't listen to you, right?" She nodded stiffly and he cocked his head to the side, "So are you seventeen?" She shook her head, a confused flicker passing through her eyes, and he sat back before returning to his book. "Didn't think so. I'm legally an adult; legally emancipated, so technically I'm above you."

There was a blissful minute long silence as she huffed, and Harry managed to get four pages down before she managed a, "You didn't answer my question."

He looked over the top of his book and raised an eyebrow, "Why should I?"

She gaped at him, and then crossed her arms as she tapped her foot on the ground. He almost smirked. "Because I'm your friend, and you need to share your grief."

Harry shook his head in confusion before looking at her, "What? Where did grief suddenly come into this?"

She huffed and sat down on the chair opposite him. "It's obvious Harry; you're new confidence is just a front to hide the pain and sadness of Sirius' murder by Bellatrix; your expensive clothes are there to hide your insecurities and doubts about yourself; your exercise is a coping mechanism because you weren't powerful enough to kill Voldemort and your lack of glasses is a manifestation of your guilt; you don't want to see it."

Harry gaped at her, and then sat back in his chair with wide eyes. "Are you trying to make me sink into a depression? First you mention Sirius, Bellatrix, and the word murder in the same sentence; then you essentially degrade me into a poor, defenceless little boy that is scared of the boogie monster under the bed. Hermione, you should really stop now; if you think you're right then you don't know the first thing about me."

"Harry-"

"Missus Weasley!" A moment later the woman herself appeared in the room, looking a little bit angered at the earlier attitude as well, and Harry stood from his chair before removing his wand. "I would appreciate it if you would witness a magical oath." Hermione's eyes widened and she moved to stand violently from her seat when she gathered what he was going to do, but found herself petrified a moment later. Molly moved to berate him, but he held up his hand. "Missus Weasley, the reason I am doing this is to lay to rest Hermione's fears about my grief, and yours as well."

She grudgingly nodded and pulled her own wand, and Harry quickly cast the runes in the air in front of him where they hovered. Molly did her runes a moment later, and they floated over to his where they fused. Harry plunged his hand into the glowing circle and then gripped the rune in his palm. A normal oath would have been just as easy, but Harry had chosen this method for show, and complete and utter certainty that his words could not be disputed as not being true. Even if he was under the imperious Molly's magic would recognize that and trigger the punishment. "I, Harry James Potter, do so swear on my life, my magic, and my eternal soul that I have moved past Sirius' murder and the grief that ensued. I also swear that I still do feel sadness for his loss, but such is the nature of the death of a loved one. I swear that I was safe in Privet Drive, and I also swear that Mad-Eye Moody attempted to question my female companion for the past three weeks against her will by staking out Number 4 Privet Drive – so mote it be."

A blindingly white flash surged through the room, and when Hermione and Molly could see once more they only saw Harry sitting back in his chair, one leg crossed easily over the other as he read his book once more. Hermione gaped in shock, Molly looked quite faint, and Harry was wandlessly making the motions for the ward that would collapse the shadow of his apparition after he had left. He noticed Molly go back to the kitchen in a state of shock, and it was several minutes later that Hermione voiced her predictable complaint.

"You didn't answer my question!"

* * *

**(1) You have the body of a dog and the IQ of a five-year old (apparently a French insult according to research).**

**(2) Fuck you**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: A special mention needs to go to Armacryss who is now helping me with the French in this story. In fact he's doing all the work, so a big thank you for making it more authentic!**

**Also, the recommended story for this chapter is: "The Power of the Press" by Bobmin.**

* * *

It had been a week since Harry had left Privet Drive, and he was happy with the progress he was making with the Delacour's darker, more offensive tomes, and the lighter defensive ones. The first night he had stayed in his room to test what kind of schedule the Weasleys kept, but the next he had finally put his plan into motion. He had leapt from his window at just after eleven o'clock before easily sliding from shadow to shadow until he reached the edge of the wards, and then spent several minutes making sure that his exit from them wouldn't trigger any alarms. His work on the perimeter done he walked through and cast the apparition masking charm before submerging himself in the glowing area, picturing his destination, and popping away with a tiny, almost inaudible squeak. As soon as he had emerged on the other side of the tunnel he had been kissed positively senseless by Gabby, and had gladly returned the favour. They talked for the next hour before Harry carried her to her bed in her apartment and lay down beside her; both of them loving the way they fit together perfectly.

Every morning he would slowly wake her and kiss her goodbye before returning to The Burrow and finishing several laps around the boundaries, and for the rest of the day he would immerse himself in book or engage in turning each and every single prank back against the prank masters themselves. After three days of this both Fred and George had come begging for forgiveness and handed him a legal and signed document swearing that they would stop pranking him if he told them how he had done it. He had signed his own name on the document, making it flash, and then handed the twins a scrap of paper saying '_reverso'_ on it. They had sulked for a solid two days.

And today Harry found himself sitting at the dining table wondering just what Molly wanted to speak to him about. Everybody else had been told to make themselves scarce, and so Harry buried his nose in another book, this time about the natural abilities of Vampires and how to use them, as he waited. Several minutes later he looked up as Molly cleared her throat, and Harry closed his book before moving to put it back in his pocket. "No Harry," interrupted Harry, and she held out her hand, "I'm confiscating that book."

His eyebrows shot up into his hairline and he tucked it safely away despite her order. "Missus Weasley, you and your family have helped me for years; taken me in and treated me well when nobody else seemed to care. I have the utmost respect for you and your family, but what you must understand is that I am now legally an adult Missus Weasley." She moved to speak, but Harry interrupted before she could. "I was emancipated in Sirius' will." He saw her shock and he frowned, "Which did dent my respect for you a little. The will-reading was on Tuesday, and yet you and your husband snuck away and attended it; not telling me anything about my now-legal rights. Had I not contacted Gringotts using Melissa's owl, which the Order does not intercept, why I might never have gotten my true rights!"

Molly paled at the knowledge he was exhibiting, but tried to justify her and her husband's actions with, "Harry, you're too young to be worrying about all this! You need to live; have a childhood!"

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair; making it even more chaotic than usual. "Missus Weasley, I ceased being a child the day I murdered Quirrell, and by extension the day I murdered Voldemort…again." He rolled his eyes as she shuddered at the name and forged onwards. "I was specifically requested at that meeting, but the Order, most likely, intercepted the notice and prevented me from knowing or attending the reading. I however, received all of bequeaths made to me the third week of the holidays, which was allowed considering I was the main receiver of his estate." He rubbed the bridge of his nose and then looked back at her, "I'm an adult, and you're not my mother. I will act as I wish, and you have no say over what I can and cannot do. If I act in a way that you consider to be too against your morals and family code then you may ask me to leave, and I will do so. Confiscating _my_ property just to show your power does not paint you in an overly nice light. To be quite honest, Missus Weasley, the only reason I'm actually here is because I don't want to estrange myself from possible allies. I have no doubt that at some point in the future a war will come knocking at our door, and when that comes then I'll need all the help I can get - even the Order, despite their actions against me."

He nodded to her after several moments and then stood before excusing himself from the table. He walked back up to his room and then plonked down onto his bed, pulling his wand out from his pocket and placing it on his bedside table. Although they couldn't charge him for underage use of magic they _could_ and knowing Fudge _would_ be tracking the spells he cast, and so he dug around in his trunk for several moments before pulling out the tome on illegal wand modifications. Four hours later he leapt from his window and grinned at the darkness as he began walking towards the wardline. After several minutes walking however, he felt somebody trailing him and his eyebrow twitched slightly; he was suddenly glad that he hadn't been flipping around and dancing through the night like…well, a Vampire. He gave the person a clear lead that he was following the path out of The Burrow, and then the moment he turned around the corner disappeared into the shadows and concealed his presence like only Vampires could. Nearly a minute later Ginny appeared, and Harry frowned; he had thought that it would be Hermione that would be the one that would follow him.

He heard her muttered curse as she realized that she had lost him, and then pulled out a necklace from under her jumper before rubbing it impatiently. His eyes widened when, after a crack, Dumbledore appeared in the middle of the path, and he sunk even deeper into the shadow as he listened to their conversation.

"You were right Sir; he was leaving The Burrow once everybody had gone to bed. I didn't find out until just last night, and only then because I just happened to be looking out of my window."

Dumbledore scratched at his beard and conjured to comfortable chairs in the middle of the road before sitting down and motioning for Ginny to do the same. "Why did you only find out tonight? Surely you had detection charms on his door?"

She nodded, "Yes, but he doesn't go out the door; he goes out his window."

Dumbledore sat back in surprise, "That's quite a distance."

"He just lands as if it's nothing and then sets off!"

Hearing enough Harry slipped away into the bush and then sped back to The Burrow double-time before leaping from the ground right up into the third-storey window of his bedroom. Transferring his momentum into a roll to slow himself he hurriedly waved his hand this way and that sending all of the dark books, whether concealed or not, into a heavily warded and undetectable space under the floorboards before picking up a completely legal, albeit advanced book on shielding charms. He sighed as he sat back on his bed and began reading, and then sent a wave of sorrow and apology over his bond to his bonded, receiving one of understanding and love back after a moment which lifted his spirits, and the two bantered back and forth with feelings of care and happiness until a knock came at his door. She felt his nervousness, and sent a deep feeling of reassurance to him as he called out for the person to enter. He dropped the wards with a thought, and a moment later Dumbledore entered, his eyes showing surprise as he felt the strong wards buzzing around him. "Good evening Harry."

He nodded civilly, "Headmaster."

"Just Albus Harry; I think we can move past our titles now."

"Of course Headmaster."

Dumbledore frowned, and then tried to impress Harry somewhat by wandlessly summoning a chair and sitting down on it. He was almost tempted to conjure himself a spa pool and then say 'yeah, I can do that too', but thought better of it. "Harry, I've been informed that you have been going for late night walks. It's dangerous to do that at night."

Harry's eyebrows rose, "Is it? You've always said that Privet Drive's wards are stellar, and when you said that it wasn't safe and you were bringing me here I was under the impression that the warding here would be superior."

"They are," Dumbledore argued, and Harry frowned.

"Well then I cannot see the problem at all. I've already talked to Mister Weasley about the boundaries of the wards, and have paced them myself to double check his information. I stay within the wards, and I have never once been attacked."

"That may be m'boy-"

"With all due respect Headmaster, don't call me that; I'm neither yours, nor am I a boy. I would prefer Mister Potter, Lord Potter, Lord Black, or a combination of those."

The old man's expression soured and Harry smirked slightly. "Harry-"

"Headmaster, you lost the privilege of addressing me as Harry as my friends do the moment you put your plans over my happiness."

"I see."

The two stared at each other for several moments before Harry felt the feather-light touch brush over his natural Vampiric Occlumency shields, and he looked back to the book he was reading the moment he did so. "Legilimency without permission is illegal Headmaster; you of all people should know that." He was so shocked he didn't even bother denying it, and Harry truly did smirk to himself at that. After several minutes under the stare of Albus Dumbledore he looked up and frowned, "Headmaster, if there is nothing else then I would ask that you take your leave; I am trying to study, and your presence is making me uncomfortable."

"The spells contained in that book are not in OWL or NEWTs Mister Potter."

Harry raised an eyebrow, "Who said I was studying for NEWTs? I am in fact studying for DEAL."

Dumbledore frowned and leaned forwards, "DEAL Mister Potter?"

He nodded excitedly, "Yeah, you know, the Death Eater Assassination League?"

Dumbledore sent him a disapproving expression and Harry rolled his eyes before turning back to his book. "Har- Mister Potter, how were you able to receive notice of Sirius' will?"

Harry sighed and folded his page before closing the cover and laying the book on his lap. "Headmaster, how were you able to illegally prevent me from receiving that notice?" Seeing the stern expression he rolled his eyes again. "If you must know, I used a Melissa's owl to send a letter to Gringotts telling them that my mail was being intercepted by you, and that I wanted to know about my options. They should be sending you a fine for preventing clear and secure lines of communication with a customer someday soon by the way Headmaster." Harry smiled openly when he saw the annoyed expression on the man's face and continued. "I then set up some electrical timers to fool Tonks on her afternoon guard and travelled to Gringotts with Melissa to receive my bequeaths using a combination the Day Bus and the Floo System to prevent any people tracking me. Both my companion and I asked other witches and wizards to change our appearance with glamours at each stop as well, so your worries about danger are unfounded."

He smirked, "But you're not worried about danger now, are you?" Dumbledore's eyes narrowed slightly, but Harry continued speaking; his tone light and conversational. "So I get emancipated, convert around five hundred Galleons into pounds, and go shopping, and then proceeded to enjoy the rest of my holidays quite thoroughly."

Dumbledore's frown deepened, "And what of the three days you went missing?"

Harry's eyes widened, "Lupin didn't tell you?"

"That's Professor Lupin Harry," Dumbledore chastised lightly, and Harry shook his head.

"His contract was broken; he is no longer a professor, and so therefore is not required to be addressed as such. But I digress, he didn't tell you then? I was at a three day acrobatics camp that Melissa suggested. She said that it helped her a lot with her duelling OWL. I didn't even know that they had one for that!" He grinned, "Mental, aye?"

He nearly laughed as Dumbledore twitched in irritation. "Indeed Mister Potter. All of these… difficulties seem to stem from this mysterious Miss Sanders. I was correct in saying that you were in danger Mister Potter; Melissa Sanders does not exist, and was likely involved in a plot with the Death Eaters."

Harry laughed and shook his head, "Headmaster, I knew full well that her name isn't Melissa Sanders. In fact I came up with that name on the spot when Lupin showed up impromptu to find out where I'd been. As for physical description Headmaster, you'll have no luck; she was under a glamour every time she was seen with me." He hadn't noticed that he had been subconsciously projecting a glamour onto her to change her hair colour and height to others until the week before he came to The Burrow, but both of them had a good laugh about it after they realized the difficulties it would cause the Order.

Dumbledore didn't look nearly as amused. "You lied to the Order Harry?"

"Mister Potter," Harry corrected innocently, "and yes, I did indeed."

"And why would you do that Mister Potter?" Harry felt very proud that he was the one to have brought forth the thunderous expression on the old man's face, and so smiled at him.

"Why because if you found her then you would rummage around in her mind and discover what we had been doing."

Anticipating the next question and action he raised his pre-prepared offensive Occlumency barriers, deciding that turning his Vampiric ones on him was a little too brutal. "And what were you doing Mister Potter?" Midway through the question Harry felt the magic gathering, and as soon as the last word was spoken a piledriver of a legilimency probe lashed out at him. Harry smiled warmly at the infuriated and slightly pained expression on the man's face as his probe was ripped to shreds and then ejected. "Bad goat, no cheese," Harry cheerfully added, "better luck next time Headmaster."

"What were you doing?" came the growl a moment later, and Harry felt the room charge with heavy magic. A faint aura appeared around the man, and Harry's eyebrows rose; he was indeed a powerful wizard to be able to bring his very essence into the visible spectrum, and for a brief moment Harry entertained the thought of letting his self-imposed barriers drop, but thought better of it.

"Headmaster," Harry replied calmly, "I have been placed under the cruciatus by Voldemort himself; possessed by the most evil man alive at this time. I've looked him dead in the eyes as he cast the Imperius curse at me, and yet I sit before you today not only alive, but complete. Your aura is hardly going to have me spilling my deepest and darkest to you."

"You will tell me."

Harry shrugged, "The only thing I'll say is that some things that teenagers do with each other should not be pried into by old men. If you think for a moment that I want you to see our special moments together…go and get a check-up at St Mungos."

He seemed to relax, and Harry glared at him, "Now go away; you've overstayed your welcome by a country mile."

Dumbledore frowned at him. "How did you change so much physically in just over five weeks?"

"Nutrient potions," Harry growled, "the ones you should have been giving me since first year, now get the hell out of my room." The man was so surprised at being hauled off his seat by Harry's wards that he didn't even resist, and a moment later found himself having the door slammed loudly in his face. Harry peered at the man's conjured chair and banished it, and a loud thump and rather foul curse came from the other side of the door a fraction of a second later. Harry smirked again.

***AWD***

Harry sat in his usual compartment on the Express looking wistfully out the window. In his hand was a book on duelling rules that was forgotten as he reminisced on the night before; his goodbye to Gabrielle. It would be nearly a month before he could meet her on the first Hogsmeade visit of the year, and such a long time seemed almost torturous. Just like they had come to be used to sleeping in the same bed, they had become attached to each other's company as well and the thought of such a long time away from each other, even with the bond, was heart wrenching. He couldn't even send her any owls while he was there because Dumbledore would track Hedwig. Hermione was asking his opinion on a new spell she had read about, and he vaguely remembered reading over it before skipping to the next shield spell up from it; it far better suited his… less merciful requirements.

He sent a wave of, for the very first time, love over their bond, and the whirlwind that jolted into him a moment later from Gabrielle quite literally had him grinning like an idiot. Hermione, ever observant, called him on it, but he just waved her off and fed Gabby his emotions as she was to him before immersing himself in her. The rest of the train ride he spent gently sending his previously restrained emotion to her, and he found himself feeling amazing when he finally opened his eyes as the train came to a stop. He sent her an impulse of anticipation for later on when they could do the same thing, and then stood up with his friends when he felt her love flash once more momentarily over their connection. He, again to the disbelieving stares of his friends and other students, easily hoisted his case over his shoulder, and considered how awkward it must look to them. Grabbing the first carriage he hopped in with his friends, and caught an odd look from Hermione. "What?"

She shook her head in exasperation, "You didn't even notice Malfoy come into our compartment, did you?"

He genuinely frowned at her, "Malfoy came by? No, I didn't notice."

Ron snorted happily, "Mate, he was so annoyed that you were ignoring him! He damn near hexed you, he even insulted your parents and you didn't even react."

Harry scowled, "Because I didn't hear the git, but if he does that when I _am_ listening then he'll wish that he didn't."

"Harry, you shouldn't encourage him like that."

Harry just shook his head in despair at Hermione and tuned all of his friends' voices out as he looked out at the forest passing them by. He easily saw into the undergrowth and smiled slightly when he saw a rat get squished by a group of trailing Centaurs. After a long ride they all arrived at the castle and trudged in as they always did; quickly finding their places at their respective tables and sitting down. Ron was trying to joke around to raise Harry's spirits, but the young man just raised an eyebrow at his crude jokes and let Hermione clap him over the head for being stupid enough to say things like that within earshot of women. He looked out the window of the Great Hall as the first years to be sorted filed in, and wondered at the enchantments that allowed for the ceiling above.

He had been reading one of the more obscure tomes of magic that had mentioned something similar, but required a heavy blood sacrifice. He remembered vaguely that the school was built on the ancient battleground in which the Founders waged war on an uprising of mutated Vampires, and searched his memory. The name Gabrielle Delacour ran through his mind and he gave a small smile before delving past those memories and-

"GABRIELLE DELACOUR TO GRYFFINDOR!"

His head snapped in shock to the front of the hall, and he watched as the sorting hat was lifted from Gabrielle's long, flowing blonde hair in complete and utter shock. Unconsciously he rose from his seat and only the women noticed his action as most of the males were too busy gawking at the beautiful teen. He stepped free of the table seats as she walked towards him with a beaming smile; her love washing over him in waves, and after a moment she broke into a run when she felt his feelings bursting free of their restraints and entering her heart. Three meters shy of him she leapt and he caught her in his arms with a joyous laugh; spinning her around before placing her feet back on the ground and pulling her into a tight embrace. As he breathed in her scent the Great Hall faded away, and he murmured softly into her ear, "I love you."

She had been ecstatic before, but at his quiet words she pulled back from him; her eyes filled with hope. "You really mean that?" she whispered, and he nodded seriously; his eyes filled with emotion as he pushed his feelings over their bond. She pulled him into a tight embrace a moment later, and gave a single sob. "I love you too _mon Cher_." He grinned into her hair and then pulled away before pushing Seamus aside and sitting her next to him; Parvati on her other side. McGonagall cleared her throat slightly and then called the next name on her list. As the other first years were getting sorted Harry held Gabrielle's hand under the table, and both of them couldn't keep the smiles of their faces as they watched the sorting.

Dumbledore finally stood from his seat and stood at the podium; the owl at the front of it spreading its wings out slightly to garner attention, and he cleared his throat. "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts." He sent Harry a suspicious look, and then focussed on Gabrielle for a moment before twitching when his probe was roughly destroyed. "It is my pleasure to introduce out new potions professor, Horace Slughorn!" Cheers erupted from the crowd, Harry, Gabrielle and the Slytherin seemingly the only people _not_ clapping, although Harry doubted it was because the Slytherin's were enjoying holding hands so much. "Professor Slughorn has been gracious enough to take his old post as Potions teacher, and so this year Defence Against the Dark Arts will be taken by Professor Snape!"

This time _only_ the Slytherin table clapped, and Harry leant down to Gabby. "Told you he looked like he hadn't washed his hair for over half a century." She giggled musically, and he squeezed her hand as he turned back to Dumbledore who seemed to be focussing solely on him as he spoke. As he blathered on about this and that Harry felt an almost imperceptible touch on his shields, and sighed before letting completely loose with his defences; Vampiric and all. It was the first time anybody in Hogwarts had seen anything like it. Dumbledore vomited explosively as Harry's magic tore violently into his probe, and then shredded its way back to the Headmaster's core before slicing the probe off right at the surface. Gabrielle snickered beside him, and Hermione watched, shocked, as Harry rattled off a very fluent sentence in French, making the beautiful Veela stuff a fist in her mouth to stop herself from breaking the deathly silence of the hall with full-blown laughter.

Dumbledore was helped off the stage by Madam Pomfrey and taken out of the hall looking paler than Voldemort, and Professor McGonagall shakily announced the feast open. Food flourished on the tables, though the people that had been within striking distance of the headmaster's projectile vomiting looked queasy themselves at the smell of the food. Hermione watched Harry and Gabrielle work perfectly together to pass the plates of food they wanted to each other, and then sat back and began eating while conversing in French. Gabrielle was complaining about how he had kept his French a secret from her, and he smirked as he swallowed a mouthful of mashed potato. «_Well you kept this surprise from me, so I think I'm more than allowed to have kept one from you.»_

She smiled at him as she sipped at her orange juice, and then reached down to squeeze his hand under the table as she stared into his eyes; pushing her affection and love for him into his heart. «_Thank you; I know that you did this for me, and it means a lot that you learnt my language.»_

He waited until she had taken her hand back and was sipping from her goblet again before replying deadpan, «_It's good, because now I can understand what you're saying at the same time I'm getting all hot and bothered.»_

She sprayed her mouthful of juice over the table where it hit Ron, who was still gawping at her, square in the face – not that he noticed. A blush blossomed on her face and she slapped his shoulder before burying her head there in embarrassment. «_I love you Harry, but please not in front of others.»_

His mischievous smile disappeared and he lifted her chin with his finger as he nodded, «_Sorry, I sometimes forget that we're not alone anymore.»_

She nodded in understanding and squeezed his hand again with a smile, «_Me too Harry, me too.»_

The pair quickly resumed eating and talking about their training, at least until Hermione had had enough and snapped at them. "Will you two talk in English please?"

Harry turned to her and raised an eyebrow, "Why? It's a private conversation."

She huffed, "Well it's rude to speak about stuff like that around others."

Harry rolled his eyes and smirked at Gabrielle, "Elle est contrariée parce qu'elle ne peut pas nous comprendre." (1)

"Harry!"

He laughed and held his hands up to Hermione. "Désolé mais je ne peux rien faire contre le fait que tu sois une sale petite espionne!" (2)

Gabrielle snickered and Hermione harrumphed before crossing her arms. "Five points from Gryffindor for insulting a prefect!"

A small tinkle was heard at the front of the hall, and McGonagall looked shocked when she saw black crystals drop into her house's points chamber. Harry stood from his chair and waved the Scotswoman over, and as she strode towards him the hall fell quiet. "Mister Potter, was it you that lost out house those points?"

Harry nodded calmly, "Yes Professor; Hermione Granger assigned the deduction due to me speaking in French and her thinking that I was insulting her."

"She laughed!" accused Hermione as she pointed at Gabrielle, and the young Veela's mouth tightened into a thin line as she tried with her entire being not to laugh again at the scene before her.

"What did you say Mister Potter?"

"Je suis désolé, mais je ne peux pas m'en empêcher; C'est agréable de parler français! J'adore vraiment ça!," (3) he replied with a straight face, and Gabrielle forced her magic to help her suppress her internal laughter.

She was trying so hard to not laugh that her face was turning red with the effort, and McGonagall put her wand to her throat and spoke to the hall. "Who here can speak reasonable French?"

A third year Ravenclaw put her hand timidly up, "I lived in France until I was ten Professor."

"So you are fluent?" She nodded and McGonagall nodded to her. "Please translate what Mister Potter says."

She nodded and Harry spoke, once more with a straight face. "Je suis désolé mais je ne peux rien faire contre ça ! Parler français, c'est comme péter un bon coup! Ca fait trop de bien!" (4)

This time Gabrielle couldn't hold in her laughter, and burst into uproarious laughter as the poor third year turned a deep red as spluttered in embarrassment. McGonagall sent Gabrielle a stern look, but the Veela was too far in hysterics to even notice. "What did Mister Potter say?"

The blush deepened, and McGonagall walked over to the young girl and leant down so that the translation could be whispered in her ear. McGonagall's expression turned into one of distaste as she looked at Harry, whose lips were twitching merrily at the corners as he steadied Gabrielle who was still in hysterics with his free arm.

She shook her head and raised her arm causing the black rocks to disappear, and then walked back to the staff table murmuring about immature sixth year students. Harry smirked and returned to his seat, and then buried his face into his robes as he finally lost grip on his laughter. It was muffled, but it was very clear that he was having a good go of it, and when the two Gryffindors raised their heads tears of laughter were threatening to fall from their eyes. Harry wandlessly conjured two tissues under the table and handed one to Gabrielle, and she took it from his fingertips as her chuckles slowly subsided. After the pair had dabbed at their eyes Harry noticed the furious look on Hermione's face and raised an eyebrow. She leant forwards, her sleeve beginning to soak up her gravy, and hissed to him, "We're going to have a talk later."

Harry just nodded his head easily and returned to his meal while sharing smiles with Gabrielle and continuing conversing in French. After dinner was finished Harry led Gabrielle to their common room and explained to her how everything worked. Since she was a year beneath him in school, having skipped through the other years easily in France, he wouldn't be able to walk with her to classes. The two considered the time they would now have together compared to the alternative was a complete godsend however. As the common room slowly quietened and emptied, and the shattered first years made their way to bed, Harry and Gabrielle sat down in their familiar black leather couch that Harry had first conjured in his room weeks ago. She easily fitted to his side like they normally did when they studied together. Halfway through a discussion they were having about the process of completing a two-way bond they were rudely interrupted by _two_ females standing in front of them. Harry looked up from the book after several loud throat clearing sessions from the two, and then switched back to English as he looked up at Hermione and Ginny.

"Can I help you?"

"I want you to apologise."

Harry raised an eyebrow, "What on Earth for?"

"For embarrassing me in front of the entire school and staff."

Gabrielle looked up from the book and stared at Hermione with a quirked eyebrow. "You embarrassed yourself by acting rashly and upon things you have no understanding of. Never once in Harry's French speech did he mention 'Hermione', and so that should have tipped you off to some extent. He, in fact, said that speaking French is like a good fart, in the respect that it feels so good to do – hence the reason for my laughter."

Both of the girls scrunched their noses, and Harry shrugged as he looked back down at the book on Gabrielle's lap that he was looking through. "You done?" she nodded and he flipped the page with practiced ease, and she automatically rested her knuckle in the crease to make sure that the page didn't flick back over as he was reading.

"And I want to know why you two are so friendly."

Harry sighed and closed the book after marking the page, and then looked at Ginny with his head tilted why the side. "Give me one good reason why I should tell you. I've never really spoken more than two sentences to you in my entire life, and your silly schoolgirl crush on me was truly a scary thing for me when I first met you. I _was_," he gave Hermione a pointed stare, "insecure, scared, and damaged goods at that time, and you scared me off, and now you come here demanding things of me. Give me one good reason that I should tell you."

"Because I demand to know too."

Harry turned to Hermione, his stare expressionless. "Hermione, you're my friend. You were once my best friend, but your bossy, overbearing actions and helpless trust in authority figures ruined that. If you push this, then you'll shatter the friendship we have."

Harry followed her thoughts as she juggled the chances, and came up with the judgement that he'd come back to her for homework help and would forgive her after a day or two. "I want to know."

Gabrielle snorted in slight disgust, "You just ruined the best thing you had."

Harry patted her gently on the hand and she took in a deep breath before smiling understandingly at him, and he turned back to Hermione with an indifferent expression; no warmth in his gaze, but no coldness either – just mere civility. "After I saved Gabby in the Second Task she felt like getting to know me better. We exchanged our first owls just before the third task, and even though her sister was competing against me she wished me luck. We realized that we had a lot in common; I was ostracised because of my fame, and she was disliked because of her Allure. We quickly struck up an easy friendship, and it only became stronger over the course of last year. She quickly became my best friend." He smiled at her and rubbed a circle on the top of her hand, "It's funny; she's the only one of my friends that I was contacted by these holidays."

Gabrielle beamed up and him and snuggled closer, and he looked at Hermione with a nod. "There's your explanation, now please leave; we're busy studying."

"What's your relationship?" snapped Ginny, and Harry sighed before leaning down and kissing Gabrielle the way he had been waiting to ever since they had confessed their love to each other in the Great Hall. Everything else faded around them, and all that they felt was their kiss and emotions that flooded through their bond. Harry felt a jolt as another wave of pleasure and love coursed over him and her lips slid over his, and then frowned when he felt something deep inside of him stir. Reaching deep down inside of his darker nature he felt himself snap into alignment like he never had before. In front of him, on a separate plane of existence from the physical feel of the kiss he was sharing with Gabrielle, were two huge balls of light, one a deep, passionate red, and the other a rich green that was slightly larger. He instinctively knew that his core of existence was the emerald ball, and intuitively reached out with his magic to grasp the thickest strand before looking across at the other ball of light which was already bridged to his with an equally thick strand of pulsing magic. He knew right then where he was and what he could do, and he found his mind already made up at his decision.

He stretched out his Heart Chord towards Gabrielle's core, and he could feel her kiss get deeper and more excited in the physical plane as he neared her very essence. Finally he felt the pull on his magic, and he willingly allowed the other ball of light to bring his Chord nearer until it fused to it, and then healed the wound made by the joining before pulses of magic began flooding through both of the bridges.

He pulled out of his sanctuary and his eyes regained their focus as they opened, and he pulled away from Gabrielle whose eyes were wide and filled with complete and utter love and happiness. After several seconds he turned to face the two young witches. Ginny's look of fury and Hermione's one of disapproval disappeared in an instant when they saw the completely unrestrained power pulsing in his eyes; quite literally making them glow as if a fire had been lit inside. "You might want to leave right about now," he growled, his fangs starting to appear, and the two witches sprinted as fast as they could up the stairs; fear in their eyes. The couple immediately began erecting dangerously powerful wards around them to avoid anybody detecting or seeing the 'Dark Magic' that would be flowing around them and through them during the final bonding ritual, and after several minutes they cast one last illusion spell before falling back onto the leather and up against each other; Harry spooning to Gabby's back and her pushing herself back into his embrace as much as she could.

The last words they spoke before they fell fully into the depths of themselves were spoken in complete unison, and both fell unconscious with smiles on their faces.

"I love you."

* * *

**(1) She is annoyed because she can't understand us.**

**(2) I am sorry, but I can't help it if you are a nosey little spy!**

**(3) I am sorry, but I can't help it; I like speaking French! I love it so, so much!**

**(4) I am sorry, but I can't help it; speaking French is like a good fart! It feels so good to do!**

**Thank you once again Armacryss; you're a legend for the translations!**


	7. Chapter 7

A faint murmuring wisped into the darkness of Harry's consciousness, and he stirred slightly as his other senses began receiving and feeding him information. Cracking open his eyes they immediately adjusted the light around him and he looked at Hermione who was standing thirty centimetres away from him; her face red as she ranted and raved as she stabbed her finger accusingly at him. Her words however, were a mere mumble due to the wards that surrounded the couch on which he lay, and he let out a yawn before looking down to his chest. His eyes softened when he saw the young blonde asleep on his chest, and he gently ran his hand over her jawline, eliciting a small hum from her throat as she nuzzled to his touch before turning back to look at the room proper. It was quite crowded, considering that virtually the entirety of Gryffindor house was watching the spectacle of Hermione dressing him down, and Harry saw the slight smirk of justice served as Ginny stared at him getting told off. Foregoing the fact that Harry really couldn't hear a word of what he was being told off _about_, he noticed that some of the first years were staring at him with wide eyes – and sent them cheeky winks which made them all grin happily and wave.

_«Gabby love, it's time to wake up.»_ She grumbled into his chest and snuggled deeper, and he rolled his eyes with a smile as he shook her shoulder slightly; making sure to touch the spot where her mark was.

She jolted awake almost immediately and looked up at him, sending him a smile that, had he been standing, would have made his legs go weak. «_I can feel you._» Harry nodded and smiled when she reached behind him and touched his own mark as she leant up and placed her lips against his, and he gently placed his hand on the base of her neck as he revelled in the even stronger emotion that was flowing through their bond. After several long, wonderful moments she pulled back and sat up, looking around for the first time. Hermione immediately turned her ire onto her, and Harry sat up as well before tentatively reaching into his nature and connecting with it. Everything suddenly snapped into focus and he smiled across at Gabby who had just done the same. «_It feels so different now._»

He nodded his agreement and looked at Hermione, who seemed to be getting progressively more and more irate at their lack of remorse for whatever she was yelling about. «_It feels…more complete; like I could do anything._» He smiled at her again, «_I can feel you there, in my nature. I couldn't before._» She smiled again and hugged him as he pulled out his wand – purely for show – and disassembled the wards around them. Hermione gaped as a white globe appeared around the couch and Harry slowly peeled off the layers of powerful magic, and then started in on him as soon as it had disappeared. "Ten points from Gryffindor for being out past curfew, twenty points for casting dangerous wards, and twenty five points for sleeping with a female! And I want to know why the heck you had _fangs_ last night!"

Harry raised his eyebrow and left it to Gabby to do the explaining. The young Veela looked up from Harry's chest and raised an eyebrow. "Curfew only applies in the corridors; there is none in the common room. Casting dangerous wards could be a problem, if Harry hadn't followed the law and placed not one as they require, but six warning layers to the ward scheme. Sleeping with a female…it depends in what context you mean. I know that in English 'sleeping' with someone can mean sex, but Harry and I just fell asleep while studying." She cocked her head to the side, her mind whizzing along at a million miles an hour, and then waved her wand at the bushy-haired prefect who after a moment sprouted a pair of fangs. "And I cast that charm on Harry to scare you off. He says that whenever I do it I just look sexy." A smirk soon spread over her cheeky face, "Of course I think it makes him look hot, but the intimidation is all part of that."

Hermione looked positively scandalized, and, after Gabrielle had removed the charm for the fangs, opened her mouth to protest, but snapped it quickly shut when the strict voice of Professor McGonagall made itself known. "Miss Delacour is correct about the rules Miss Granger; they are completely in the clear. This second offence of abused authority however, has proven that you are unable to assign points responsibly and maturely. I have docked your ability to remove or assign house points for a period of one month – during that time you should think about your actions." With a nod to Harry and Gabrielle she turned around and strode out of the Common Room, and every single head turned to the three to see what the reaction would be. Harry just shrugged, helped Gabrielle to her feet, cast a cleaning and freshening charm on them both and then escorted her out of the door the Deputy Headmistress had just exited herself. Halfway down to breakfast Harry saw Ginny break away from the group and he leant down to Gabby. «_I'm just going to go and see what she's up to. I'll be back as soon as I can._» She nodded and smiled brightly before giving him a quick peck on the lips and letting him go.

Several times Harry had to duck into the shadows to avoid detection by the cautious redhead, but eventually he found himself standing in front of the rapidly closing stone gargoyle that led to the Headmaster's office. He ducked in through the gap, and then leapt up to the ceiling before integrating himself into the shadows there. It was a technique that very few Vampires employed, quite simply because of the power drain it caused, but Harry had the magic to spare. It consisted of quite literally breaking the body into a mist of sorts, and still allowing consciousness of the Vampire, which made it positively wonderful for spying. He didn't even need to stretch out with his senses to hear through the wide-open door of the office.

"Miss Weasley, what a pleasant surprise. Lemon drop?"

He could almost envision Ginny scowling as she shook her head. "No. Last night I found out that Harry is dating Gabrielle Delacour."

There was a small silence. "Interesting. What else did you discover?"

"He has been in contact with her ever since before the Third Task of the Triwizard, pen pals, and she was supposedly the only friend to contact him this summer. I told you I should have written him."

"Perhaps it would have been a good idea, but is too late to change anything now Miss Weasley. I had a feeling that allowing her to transfer here for 'cultural exploration' was a bad idea, but her father _is_ the Minister of the French Ministry. You should also know that I forbade a relationship with a young woman in his home town during the summer, and I was informed by Alistair that on the last night they shared a bed." Ginny gasped in surprise and scandalized shock, and Harry raised an eyebrow; he hadn't thought that that would have been shared with the youngest Weasley. "Perhaps I can discourage this relationship in a different manner. For the moment stay friendly to Harry and Gabrielle, and I will contact some people."

He heard the defeated sigh and, "Yes Headmaster" from Ginny, and watched as she walked beneath him with an irritated expression on her face. He thought for a minute before solidifying and dropping to the stairs and exiting the stairwell, and then realized that he had a slight problem; the last thing he wanted was for Ginny to arrive at breakfast before him. Breaking into a dead sprint he burst past a small group of Ravenclaws, planted his foot on the banister, and leapt into the chasm which housed the moving staircases. He heard squeals of shock from several people as he flew across the canyon, and easily slammed into the floor two storeys down as he transferred his momentum into a roll. He heard the concrete beneath the carpet crack with the impact and hoped like absolute hell that nobody had heard it. He was very happy that he had chosen the stairwell that Ginny _hadn't_ taken. He tore down the stairs before slowing to a walk as he stepped into the Great Hall.

Nobody would ever have guessed that he had just ran the length of the castle and engaged in a humanly-suicidal manoeuver in the stairwell; his breath was steady, and his heartbeat was still beating at its slow rhythm. Gabrielle caught sight of him and waved happily, and he smiled back before taking his seat beside her. «_So what happened?_» He ignored the scowl on Hermione's face as she furiously studied a book on the French language as she ate breakfast, and grinned to himself before switching to the more formal tone of French to make sure that she couldn't understand even slightly.

«_Little red told Dumbledore about our relationship. Apparently that wasn't supposed to happen, so he's going to try and do something to stop it. I'm guessing that he's going to try something to do with your age. You're twelve, I'm sixteen, and even though you're mentally only a year younger than me, and physically you look beautiful,» _she smiled at him and he pressed a small kiss to the side of her mouth before taking a sip of his juice, «_and the same age as me, he'll find some obscure law. Since Dark Creatures are considered property more than anything however, I have an idea that I think will get around his plans...but I don't like it. I'll look around for another option, but I need to know if you trust me?» _She nodded with a wave of love and he kissed her again before nodding. "_Tonight I'll sneak out and visit your father to sort out the paperwork and the story to follow._"

She turned a little bit red when she realized what his plan consisted of, but her beaming smile shone up at him. «_Will you really?_»

He smiled and kissed her before cocking his head to the side; his love crashing into her. "I meant what I said that night Gabby."

"Meant what?"

The couple turned to Hermione simultaneously, rolled their eyes in complete unison, and then turned back to each other where there expressions softened and deepened. She nodded to him, squeezed his hand happily, and then turned back to her breakfast. The day seemed to drag, but Harry found his Transfiguration period to be immense fun. The magic which Vampires possessed was sufficiently morphed and different from a wizard's that certain laws taught in schools no longer applied, and so when Minerva caught Harry reading a book on shielding charms she had called him up to the front of the class to make an example. Harry ignored Hermione's triumphant expression and turned to the Professor to listen.

"Since you seem to have finished the work assigned, as you are reading books not pertaining to Transfiguration, then perhaps you could transfigure this quill into an animated horse."

Harry nodded easily, lifted his wand, and then began a complex motion before ending with a sudden jab. McGonagall's desk collapsed under the weight of the now-fully sized horse, and the animal collapsed to the ground before stumbling back to its feet and looking at Harry. Harry smirked, and then conjured a golden crown before reaching over and placing it reverently on the animal's head and standing back. McGonagall looked at him with wide eyes, and then hurriedly waved her wand over the animal before stopping with her wand pointed at the crown and her mouth gaping slightly. "Mister Potter, this is made of gold."

Harry nodded with a small smile, "Sure; I thought that Evelyn here could use some 'bling' Professor."

"That's against Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration!" came the easily predicted protest from Hermione and Harry rolled his eyes.

"Fine, we'll change it then." With another wave of his wand it turned into silver and McGonagall looked about ready to faint.

"Mister Potter…it is impossible to conjure precious metals."

Harry looked at the silver crown and scowled before grabbing it, stuffing it into his book bag, sitting down and crossing his arms. "Fine, forget I ever did it."

He had ended up giving the crown, also inlaid with rubies and emeralds, to a giggling first year Ravenclaw that he had talked to in the library in-between classes, and had grinned widely when he saw the awed expression on the young girl's face. Ignoring the suspicious expression from Hermione he stepped into his last lesson with her, and immediately ducked a curse that came flying at his head. It collided with Hermione's face which suddenly sprouted hair, and Harry sighed before whispering the counter-curse and sitting down. Snape glared at him as the rest of the class filed in, and he just returned the stare emotionlessly. It was an entire two minutes after the class had settled that Snape suddenly growled and broke eye contact, and Harry smirked victoriously. "How some of you managed to get an O in your OWLs confounds me," he said while flicking Harry a sneer, "but the fact remains that you are in this class. I will quickly discover who is worthy of being here, and who is not."

He spun around and pointed at Harry, "Potter, what is the incantation for a duellers shield?"

"Contego Professor."

"A powerful fire-based charm," he shot back, his scowl deepening.

"Fiendfire Professor."

"Five points from Gryffindor: that is a dark arts spell." Harry shrugged and didn't react, making the man scowl further. "I believe that we should have a duelling demonstration. Draco, Potter." Harry rolled his eyes at the predictable pairing and stood without complaint from his chair before letting off one of his smaller blocks on his magic when he saw Draco's sneer. It wavered slightly, and Harry smirked at him as he let off another two – which made it fall completely from his face. Snape growled as Harry strode confidently to the front of the class with his robes billowing fantastically behind him, but marshalled his face back into a sneer as he stepped back from the duelling platform and waited for the pair to take their places. Harry could feel the apprehension underneath the façade however as the power literally rolled off him, and Draco looked about ready to bolt. The pair met in the middle, face to face, and before Draco could even think about an insult he turned his back and began walking. Some of the better versed students snickered at the blatant show of disrespect to Draco, and Snape snarled, but counted them down.

Harry could feel Draco's spell coming at his back even before the greasy-haired Professor had called the one, and a gasp came from the entire class when Harry dodged the black and red spell without even turning around. He continued walking, smirking as he continued dodging the progressively darker curses, but it was when three was called that he scowled and snapped one of the only dark shielding spells into place in front of him for protection. Draco's level one Dark Arts spell splashed against his shield where it crackled with dangerous red energy, and after a moment was sent back at twice the speed with thrice the energy. Snape yelled and blasted Draco out of the way of the spell, and the entire class watched with wide eyes as the spell hit the stone walls of the castle and a cloud of dust appeared. When it cleared all eyes turned slowly back to Harry with no small measure of fear at the three-inch deep lacerations in the stone, and Harry turned to Draco who was on the ground groaning with a snarl. "Draco Malfoy, you have just assaulted the Head of the Houses of Potter and Black with a Class One spell in a controlled duel."

"It was never stated as controlled," sneered Snape, "Twenty points from Gryffindor for a false accusation, and two months detention with Filch for the attempted maiming of a fellow student."

"School duels are controlled unless stated otherwise. I will dispute the detentions and points with my head of house immediately – good day."

And with that he strode out of the classroom. "Professor!" he yelled when he saw McGonagall opening the door to her office, and she turned to him in surprise before frowning.

"Mister Potter, you have Defence Against the Dark Arts, do you not?"

Harry came to a stop a meter shy of her and shrugged. "I don't think so. I defended myself against the dark arts, a Class One Dark Arts spell in fact, and rather than being congratulated I was docked twenty points and two months detention with Filch."

Her eyes boggled, "A Class One spell?" They then narrowed, "And would I be correct in guessing that Mister Malfoy was the caster?"

Harry nodded with a small smile, "Who else would know a spell of that magnitude?"

She waved him into her office and he took a seat at her prompt before explaining what had happened, and the actions against him as well as his accusation to Malfoy. She sat silent for several minutes before sitting back in her chair with a sharp sigh. "Your detentions are overruled, as are the house points deducted Mister Potter. What was the spell used against you?"

"Lacerus Maximus Professor."

Her eyes narrowed, "And how did you block such a spell?"

Harry just smiled a sly smile. "Professor, we all have our secrets."

* * *

Several minutes after signing an official notice stating that his information was correct, he exited the office and walked back to the common room to begin preparations for that night. Nearly an hour later Hermione barrelled into the room questioning him, and then found herself on the receiving end of _his_ irrated expression. "Miss Granger, you are not my mother. You are not even an adult, and so I would stop this right now before I am tempted to file a complaint to our Head of House about your behaviour."

Her mouth snapped shut quite quickly after that, and a second later one of the third years came up to Harry. "Umm, there's a young Ravenclaw outside asking for you."

Harry's eyebrows rose up and he nodded before breezing past the young boy and opening the portrait. When he saw the young girl holding the crown he had given her he smiled, but frowned when he saw her sad expression. Ignoring Hermione's spluttering indignation he invited her into the common room and smiled kindly as she looked at the different room with something akin to awe. He sat her down in a seat opposite his and Gabrielle's couch, and a moment later the young woman herself sat down at his side and kissed him sweetly on the lips before snuggling into his side and looking kindly at the young girl as well. "Are you Mister Potter's girlfriend?" Gabrielle laughed and nodded, and the girl's eyes widened, "You're very beautiful."

Gabrielle blushed slightly and Harry laughed before relaxing back into the couch and motioning to the crown. "What's the problem Olivia?"

The young girl blushed at the friendly tone, and held it out to him. "M-my prefect said that I had to give this back to you."

Harry raised an eyebrow, "What was the prefect's name?"

"I think her last name was Chang," said the young girl, her face scrunched up in concentration, and Harry's eyebrows rose.

"Cho Chang. Why did she say that you had to give it back? I gave it to you as a gift."

She blushed again, and Gabrielle beamed up at him. The young 'Claw lowered her eyes and then muttered, "She said that I shouldn't take things from you because you were dangerous."

Gabrielle let out a snort, and Harry laughed at the disgusted expression on her face. "Now now _ma chérie_." He turned back to the young girl and thought for a moment before putting out his hand and she reluctantly handed it over. Harry winked at her, and then transfigured it into a fine golden necklace; a single, pure diamond hanging like a teardrop from a platinum setting. The girl's eyes widened and gasps came from the many other students that had been watching the scene with interest. He held out the necklace to her and winked. "The crown, I admit, was a little conspicuous." She took the chain with shaking fingers and then hugged it to her chest before launching herself at him and pulling him into a huge hug. Harry looked over the girls head and grinned lopsidedly at Gabrielle and she chuckled at his expression.

He helped the young girl put it on and then saw her off at the door with one last hug. He turned to the rest of his housemates with a raised eyebrow and they immediately tried to look busy. He walked back over to Gabrielle before beginning to read over her shoulder. "That was naughty putting a repulsion charm on that necklace." He grinned cheekily and wondered just how infuriated Cho would be when she found herself unable to approach the studious young first year. Dinner was a quiet affair, both of the lovers too busy going over the plan in their heads to bother paying attention to anything else, and so it was late that night in the common room that Harry snapped from his thoughts and smiled at her. She hugged him. "Be safe Harry."

He smiled and nodded. "I will be. Is there anything you want from your house?" She thought for a moment before asking him to swap out some of their books for new reading material, and he shrunk the volumes in question before putting them in his pocket, kissing her once more, and walking out of the door.

"I was waiting for this."

Harry turned his head and saw Hermione staring back at him, and he cursed himself for not searching out with his magic before leaving. "For what?"

"You're out after curfew."

Harry rolled his eyes, "As are you."

"I'm a prefect," she shot back, and he grinned.

"Not much of one though." He ignored her snarl and began walking; rolling his eyes when he felt her following him. After ten minutes of cat and mouse he quickened his step slightly and disappeared around the corner just before her and pulled himself into the dark shadow of the alcove. She appeared a fraction of a second later and froze in shock before cursing and sticking her hand right through the shadows that hid him. He smirked to himself and waited for her to leave before materializing once more and continuing to the statue of Gunhilda on the third floor; descending into the passage after giving the password.

The moment he felt himself free of the wards he popped away and, with the typical momentous crack of international apparition, arrived at the edge of the Delacour Mansion wards. He walked up the path, and as he neared the door was stopped by two aurors. «_Identify yourself!_»

«_Harry Potter. I'm here to see Jean._»

The first guard nodded and disappeared inside, and Harry could see the pent-up stunner glowing at the tip of the other guards wand. His eyes scoured the darkness for any other threats, and he smirked when he saw five other aurors 'hidden' and pointing their wands directly at him. A moment later he looked back to the mansion as Jean walked out and he walked forwards with a smile to meet him with a handshake. «_Sorry for not warning you I'd be coming, but Dumbledore intercepts all of my mail, and likely your daughter's now that he knows we're seeing each other._»

Jean's eyes widened and then he beamed at him, «_You learned our language!_» Harry laughed and nodded, and was quickly invited inside where he was served a glass of blood, much to his raised eyebrow. Jean laughed, «_An international apparition takes a lot out of people. Most wizards can't even manage one without taking several stops on the way._»

Harry shrugged and raised it to his lips before taking a mouthful and letting it slide down his throat. With Gabrielle's help he had gotten over his disgust at the act, and so got straight to the point with the man. «_Dumbledore is going to try and threaten me in some manner to stop me from seeing your daughter. Now since we possess a double bond-_»

«_Congratulations!_» Harry grinned at the man, and then carefully kept his glass steady as he was wrapped in a firm hug. He took his seat once more and Jean looked at him approvingly. «_So you love my daughter then?»_

Harry nodded and smiled when he felt a wave of that precise emotion come over their bond. «_I do, which is why I simply will not allow us to be separated._» Jean sat back in his seat with a raised eyebrow, and Harry did the same while sipping from his glass and delighting as power rushed though him. «_In England our relationship is technically illegal. I would be considered a paedophile, and the only reason we haven't had problems thus far is because the student body is not aware of Gabrielle's age. They believe her to be fifteen, and that is acceptable. Since she is twelve, just coming on thirteen, however…_» he shrugged, «_Dumbledore could easily threaten to tell the authorities and get me in trouble_.»

«_And how do you plan on getting around this problem?_»

Harry frowned and he swirled the blood around in the glass; watching as it clung to the edges. «_I love your daughter sir, and am a Dark Creature myself. Your family, after some quick explaining, accepted what he hold for each other, and I truly appreciate that. The thing is, living in England, although Gabby has a degree of security and immunity from the Dark Creature laws, some still apply. This however, gives us a way that nobody can touch our relationship._»

«_Oh?_»

«_You could give ownership of Gabby to me._»

Jean frowned and thought for a moment before shaking his head in confusion. «_I do not understand._»

«_Gabby is everything to me; she's a woman, a Veela, a witch, and none of that matters to me – but it does to the English law. Dark Creatures are not technically people; they are property_.»

Jean looked disgusted, «_I had heard rumours, but I didn't believe them true._»

Harry nodded and took another sip before pouring him another glass from the bottle. «_It is, and if you were to give ownership of Gabby to me then it wouldn't matter that she was 'underage'; she would be my property, in the eyes of the law, to do what I wanted with._»

«_It is barbaric!_»

Harry leant forwards and nodded seriously, «_The very thought of owning Gabby makes me feel ill, which is why I have a second avenue._» Jean relaxed slightly and waved his hand quickly to have Harry tell him of it. «_As she is a minor in both of our countries you could give her informed consent, however that would not stand up to close scrutiny. If you coupled that with a marriage contract however…_»

Jean looked shocked, «_But that is illegal!_»

Harry smiled and sat back down, «_A contract isn't, only the completion of it is - and it's still legally and magically binding. By signing a contract that stated I would be in a monogamous relationship with Gabby until, and through, marriage I am essentially bound to honour that. It is one step short of ownership, and the moment the laws are changed then the contract will move into effect and we will be wed._»

«_You are asking for my daughter's hand in marriage?_»

Harry smiled warmly at him and finished his glass before nodding. «_I am. I love her with everything that I am, and will ever be.»_ Jean looked at him for several long moments before grinning widely, letting out a yell, and then crashing into Harry. The young man in question easily placed his glass on the table as he was tackled to the floor, and a moment later Harry was laughing as Jean tried to squeeze the very life out of him. «_Get off me you oaf!_»

«_What's going on here?_»

The two men looked up from the floor and Harry pointed at Jean accusingly. «_Not my fault Missus Delacour, it was all your husband's fault._»

Jean grinned wider and pulled Harry to his feet before wrapping his arm around his shoulders and grinning at his wife, «_Harry just asked for Gabrielle's hand in marriage!_»

Adelynn looked at Harry in shock, and Fleur looked much the same, at least until Jean tore out of the room yelling at the top of his lungs that his little girl was getting married. The three watched his retreating back until it disappeared up the stairs and Harry collapsed back into his seat before foregoing the glass and taking a huge swig out of the bottle. Fleur finally turned to him and cocked her head in disbelief, «_Are you serious Harry?_»

Harry nodded and smiled at the pair, «_Last night I bonded myself to her._»

The pair's eyes widened, and Adelynn took a seat while Fleur leaned on the doorframe. After several seconds of silence she looked to Harry, her eyes burning with curiosity. «_What does it feel like?_»

Harry's expression softened. «_It's hard to explain…you are bonded to your husband?_»

She nodded, «_But he is human, so cannot bond to me._»

He nodded in understanding. "It's like the bond I had to her before was…nothing. We haven't explored our new connection yet, but the emotions I can feel from her are stronger, and… it feels like she is always with me. I can feel her inside of me; always telling me that I will never be alone; that she will always be by my side." He smiled and shook his head. «_I cannot describe it._»

Fleur shook her head in amazement. «_It really feels like that? You can feel her even now, over a thousand kilometres away?_»

Harry nodded happily, and it was at that moment that Jean re-entered the room and sat down in front of Harry with a blood-quill and a contract. Harry raised an eyebrow. «_Prepared much?_»

Jean chuckled and shrugged, «_I wanted my daughter to be happy, so I had a contract made with the exact same ideas that you did when she was born._»

«_Can we backdate it?_»

Jean raised an eyebrow, «_Harry, that's illegal._»

The young wizard shrugged with a grin, «_Only if you don't have enough money to cover your tracks._»

Jean chuckled appreciatively and nodded before picking up the quill and filling in the parts he needed to on the contract before handing it to Harry. Much to his shock Harry signed it immediately, and it flashed a deep green as it accepted the blood and promises of Harry and Jean. «_Why didn't you read it?_»

Harry sat back and looked at the contract lying innocently on the table before pouring another glass of blood and smiling. «I knew y_ou would have worded it so that your daughter got the better end of the deal. I want that as well, and I trust you to not completely screw me over. Oh I skimmed it before I signed, but I was in agreement with all of the conditions._»

"_You didn't have time to-_" Harry patted his marked shoulder with a good-natured smile and Jean sat back with a slight grin of his own. «_I see. I'll get my best goblins on the job of backdating it. Perhaps to the day after your emancipation?_»

Harry nodded, «_That'll stop any protests by Dumbledore claiming that I had no right because he was my magical guardian._» He saw all of their shocked looks and chuckled, «_Yes, that's technically illegal as well, as he was never specified in the will, but it seems that when it comes to controlling me everything is okay to him._»

«_So it would seem._»

Everybody sunk into thought for several minutes, but the atmosphere was light and friendly. Harry eventually finished his glass and stood from his chair with a smile. «_Well since I'm engaged to be married, I'd best go and create that ring I've been thinking about and tell my fiancé the news._»

«_If she says yes,_» Fleur smirked, and Harry gave her a deadpan look, prompting a small giggle.

Jean followed Harry out to the front door and patted him on the shoulder with a large smile on his face. «_Harry, I know you'll make my daughter happy, and I'm proud that you're now a part of our family. I'll send you a copy of the documents tomorrow morning via International Secure Eagle._» Harry nodded his thanks and said his goodbyes before walking back out to the boundary and popping away back into the One-Eyed Witch passage. After casting a series of spells to obscure the fact that he had been a bad boy and snuck out of school grounds he walked silently back through the halls of Hogwarts. Learning from his mistake he peaked around the corner to the common room and sighed when he saw Hermione sitting there on a stool reading a book.

With a silent curse he sunk back into the shadows and thought carefully about his options before finally deciding on probably the most dangerous of the lot. It was a very short-distance skill, but he felt out with his magic and could feel a large gap to his left. Considering that there was only a wall to his left he took in a deep breath and hoped like absolute hell that it worked. He slowly allowed himself to flow into the larger space, and after a small moment of terror as he winked out of existence he stumbled out of one of the shadows of the common room and slammed his shins into the table in the centre of the room with a muttered curse. The table came out worse off than he did; two large dents in the side of it, and he quickly repaired them before turning to the sound of laughter. Gabrielle looked at him with her fist stuck in her mouth and he rolled his eyes before walking over and sitting down next to her. The look on her face quickly morphed as he snuggled into her, and an instant later he found himself straddled by the Veela with her lips moving against his.

He immediately kissed her back, and both went weak from the feedback they were receiving from their lover. Gabrielle could feel the effect she was having on him, and smirked into his mouth before probing his tongue with hers. It was to this scene that Hermione entered the Common Room and froze; her mouth agape as she flickered her eyes between Harry and the door she had just come through. Harry didn't even notice, and continued kissing his girlfriend with no small amount of passion. When Hermione caught sight of Gabrielle's tongue darting into Harry's mouth however, all hell broke loose. "Stop that this instant!"

Harry didn't even bother breaking away from Gabby to flip her the bird, and Hermione huffed before striding over and reaching for Harry's shoulder to pull him away from Gabrielle. Before her hand could make contact however she heard a hiss, and when she looked at Gabby she took a step back in fright. The young woman's eyes had slitted dangerously, and her features had leaned out to become more avian as passionfire burned across the tips of her fingers. Harry glared at Hermione before gently stroking his hand over Gabrielle's cheek, and she met his eyes before slowly calming down and returning to normal. The brunette stammered for several seconds and Harry glared at her. "She's a Veela Hermione, what the hell did you expect? They are passionate creatures; protective of their mates, and I am hers at the moment." He felt Gabby squeeze his hand and whisper 'forever' and smiled to himself. He wish he could just shout it out from the highest tower that he was Gabby's bonded, and she was his, but knew that too much was at risk.

"She's a Dark Creature!"

Harry rolled his eyes, "She's _part_ Veela." He skipped the part about her now being more of a pureblooded Veela because of her shared bond with another Dark Creature, namely him, and moved onto the threat. "Hermione, you may think she is overprotective of me, but I am equally as protective of her." He released several limiters on his magic, coming close to how powerful he had been when facing Draco, and Hermione took another step back as his eyes glowed from inside and his fangs threatened to burst forth. "Don't test me, or Gabby. Am I understood Hermione?"

"How did you get in here?"

Harry cocked his head with a snarl, "None of your damn business. We've moved beyond acquaintances; you're now a mild annoyance. Do not push me Hermione, don't even risk it else you'll get a taste of what Dumbledore felt at the Opening Feast when he tried to intrude upon my mind."

Hermione gaped at the titbit of information, and slowly moved up the stairs to her dormitory while giving him wary looks when he waved her off. When he had felt her presence disappear from the room he collapsed back into the soft leather of the couch and kissed her sweetly on the lips. "Did you get the paperwork?"

He could hear the excitement in her voice and frowned before getting off the chair and kneeling in front of her as he held her hands. "Gabby, I don't want to own you."

She cocked her head to the side with a small smile, "Harry, you already own my heart – a piece of paperwork only makes it official."

"It degrades you to a piece of property Gabby, and I will not have that. I told your father that I will never see you like that." As he spoke he was weaving his magic inside of himself, and she frowned when she felt the power building within him. "I told your father that you are a woman, a Veela, and a witch, and none of that matters to me. What matters to me is that you are you, and owning you…it degrades that."

She looked upset. "So you do not own me then?"

Harry smiled internally and turned her hand over so that her palm was facing upwards, and then allowed his magic to make his imagination a reality. She watched in shock as a beautiful white-gold ring materialized on her hand, and tears gathered in her eyes when it flashed slightly as it appeared in its entirety. The gold looked almost ethereal in its perfection, and the small but infinitely pure emerald gem that glittered magically back at her pulsed in time with Harry's heartbeat. She looked up at him, her eyes alight with desperate hope that he was doing what she thought he was doing. "I will never degrade you to a _thing_ Gabby, and although we cannot legally be wed with the current laws, this is my promise to you. Gabby, when the time comes, will you marry me?"

More tears gathered, but the stunning smile that was spread over her face belied her true emotions, as did the bond that they shared. "Yes," she whispered reverently, as if by speaking louder it would break his question, and he carefully slid the ring onto her left ring finger before pressing his lips to her knuckles and smiling up at her.

No words needed to be spoken as he crept up her body and kissed her, and she smiled brilliantly as tears cascaded down her cheeks in happiness. Nearly an entire hour later Harry pulled away from her swollen lips, and he pecked her nose gently before smiling down at her. "I still want to take it slowly Gabby, but I know already that I cannot live my life without you now."

As she nuzzled sleepily into his side she smiled and nodded her head, sighing when he began running his hand soothingly through her hair and massaging her scalp. «Me either Love_._»


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Well it's been a while but exams are FINALLY over! No more highschool! Enjoy a new chapter, and although this one is reasonably short, I assure you that** **the next one is more along the lines of 9.5 thousand words.**

* * *

As what seemed to be the norm virtually all of the eyes in the hall followed the couple's progress to their seats at the Gryffindor table, especially since Gabrielle's powers had been enhanced through their joint bond, but both of them ignored it and sat down before, also as per usual, switching into French. Hermione's eye twitched. As Harry filled Gabrielle's plate with all of her favourites she added the things he couldn't reach to his plate, and smiled over at him. «_So it will be this morning?_»

Harry gave a genuine shrug. «_Maybe. He seemed quite concerned about it all yesterday, and it isn't unusual for me to be called to his office after meals. At least it's a Saturday._» She quirked an eyebrow at him and he winked cheekily at her, "It'll give Snape time to recover from his…brutally torn to shreds probe." She laughed musically and Harry saw McGonagall start towards him from the Staff Table at the front of the hall. "Here we go," he muttered, and made sure to take a bite of potato just as McGonagall stopped beside him. Chewing slowly he held up a hand to stop her from talking before he could answer, and Gabrielle quickly took a large mouthful of pancakes to stop herself from laughing. He could see the Scotswoman's foot tapping faster and faster – could hear it too in fact, and finally swallowed before wiping his mouth with a napkin and facing her with an innocently attentive look. Gabrielle coughed as she laughed and swallowed at the same time, and he patted her on the back as she coughed and spluttered beside him. "Good morning Professor, can I help you?"

"The Headmaster wishes to speak to you after breakfast."

Harry nodded and smiled at her, "Of course Professor." She nodded stiffly before stalking back to the head table, and Harry quickly pulled out his wand and cast a charm to clear Gabby's airway. She smiled thankfully at him and dabbed at her watering eyes with a napkin before continuing on with her breakfast. Just as people were beginning to file out of the hall a loud screech echoed around the huge room, and everybody's heads turned upwards as the International Eagle barrelled down towards Harry; it's wings tucked into its body as it gathered up as much speed as possible. In a fraction of a second it had dropped the letter, received the piece of bacon that Harry had held out for it, and shot straight out the other side of the hall before barrelling full tilt into the distance to clear the wards. Even Harry was impressed, having never seen a secure Eagle in action before. They were trained to get in, deliver, and get out as soon as possible to avoid capture and any tracking charms cast at them. Harry looked down at the A4 brown envelope before smiling happily and tucking it under his arm as he escorted Gabrielle from her seat and out the door. As they walked back to the Common Room they looked quickly at all the paperwork inside and when Gabrielle saw the marriage contract everything just seemed to hit her all at once.

She beamed up at him and engulfed him in a tight hug, and they stood there, silent, for several minutes just revelling in the emotions of love that they could feel from each other. They finally made it back to the Common Room, and at the entrance Gabrielle turned to him and smiled. "Be safe _mon cher._"

He nodded, "Always Gabby." She pecked him once before entering the room beyond, and Harry sighed happily before making his way to the Headmaster's office. It took him nearly ten minutes to arrive, as he paused to look at a few paintings along the way as he read his way through and familiarized himself with what documents he had – all of them with the word 'COPY' watermarked to show that the originals were safe elsewhere, and verified by Gringotts _International_, including the Marriage Contract dated June 10th 1996. Harry highly doubted he could have done better.

Tucking them all back into the envelope and slipping that under his arm he walked up to the Gargoyle who opened when it saw him, and then headed confidently up the stairs before knocking on the door. The moment he stepped inside he cast his magic outwards to search for threats, and rolled his eyes when he sensed Snape in the corner to his right under an invisibility cloak. Dumbledore faced him from his desk, his usual cheery smile in place, but Harry smirked slightly when he saw the emotions of wariness and caution in his normally twinkling blue eyes. "Good morning Headmaster."

He nodded and motioned to the seat in front of his desk. "Please take a seat Har-" he cut himself off at Harry's warning glare, "Mister Potter. We have much to discuss."

"I'm sure we do," Harry replied as he sat down, and he glared right back at Fawkes who was looking distrustfully at him before turning back to Dumbledore with his expression neutral.

Dumbledore motioned to the lemon drops on the small table to his right, and Harry looked at them for several moments before turning back to Dumbledore and shaking his head with an apologetic smile. "No thanks, I'm on a diet and mild truth potions upset my stomach."

The Headmaster's posture stiffened slightly, before he sunk back into his chair and looked at Harry for several long moments. Not in the mood for a staring contest Harry amused himself by looking around the room and communicating with Gabby through their bond until Dumbledore cleared his throat. He turned his eyes back to the old man and Dumbledore sighed. "Mister Potter, I'm afraid that I am at a loss as to how our relationship has deteriorated to such a point."

Harry shrugged, "It started the moment I found out you had been holding the prophesy back. I was a little confused as to why, considering I'm allegedly the only person that can kill Voldemort, I haven't received any special training at all, and then there's the question of why you would throw it on me thirty minutes after watching my godfather murdered." He looked around again, his face free of emotion, "That's when it started, and your actions from that point on just estranged you more."

"It was for your own good Ha- Mister Potter."

Harry shrugged, "You'll think that no matter what I say, so I'll act like a stubborn teenager for once and say 'whatever'."

Dumbledore frowned, and then shuffled through some papers on his desk before settling on one. "I'm afraid that I need to know the identity of the young woman you befriended during the holidays."

Harry chuckled, "Why on Earth do you need to do that? Because you want to find out the reason for the change in me? I'll be the first to admit that she has played a large part in the change, but most of it, Headmaster, occurred simply because I was sick of being the helpless teen that couldn't do anything. My emancipation allowed me to defend myself if the need arose, and to help me deal with the abusive Dursleys; my fitness and acrobatics training allowed me to improve my chances in a duel, and look better; my clothing allowed me to feel good about myself, and probably played a small part in bringing me fully out of my depression." He shrugged, "I fail to see how any of this is a bad thing."

"Mister Potter, your emancipation has caused more problems than good."

Harry shrugged, "For you maybe, but not me."

Seeing that Harry wasn't going to budge the old man shuffled through the papers again before picking up a report and reading it. "Remus Lupin filed a report that said that you were studying dark magic, and had illegal tomes in your possession in Privet Drive." He looked at Harry and raised an eyebrow, "What can you tell me about that?"

"That I was studying dark magic and was in possession of illegal books," Harry replied easily back, and smirked when he felt the magic gathering behind him.

"Where did you get such books, and why were you studying the subject?"

"I got the books from Melissa, and-" He stopped speaking when he felt something akin to a little man smacking a hammer against his shields, and sighed before figuratively and mentally tearing the greasy git a new one. A scream of agony came from behind him as his primal magic infected the spy's core, and then fell quiet as his body fell into unconsciousness to purge the foreign energy faster. "And," Harry continued, "I studied it so that I could stop nosey Potions masters and Headmasters from digging around where they're not welcome."

"Harry, you cannot just go around attacking Professors!"

"And they, legally, cannot go around spying into people's minds or else risk a sizable stay in Azkaban. It wouldn't stick to Snape-"

"Professor Snape-"

"Snivellus, because you'd just pull the greater good card or find some obscure loophole to prevent his conviction, so really the only way to punish him for his crime is by doing it myself."

"How did you do that to him, and me yesterday morning?" Harry noticed that it was not so much an 'answer if you like' question; more of an 'answer now damn it' inquiry.

"Family secret."

Dumbledore frowned, "I must insist Mister Potter."

"As must I," Harry shrugged back, "It's a _family_ secret, and will stay in my family for the foreseeable future." He wasn't lying either; Gabby and her family were his family now.

Shuffle again, and they came to the incident the previous day. "Mister Malfoy-"

"Attempted to murder me using a Class One Dark Arts spell regulated by the Ministry. As the head of the Ancient and Noble Houses of Potter and Black I am well within my rights to duel him to the death for his slight, or order and get approved a rather considerable stay in Azkaban. You were about to voice your disapproval of my actions, yes? To be quite frank, shove it Headmaster. He tried to murder me, and he got what he deserved, in fact he got _less_ than what he deserved – so we'll be moving onto the next topic."

Dumbledore scowled for a moment before moving onto the last piece of business, and Harry found that he was actually looking forward to it. "I have also been informed that you are engaged in a romantic relationship with Gabrielle Delacour – our latest exchange student." Harry nodded easily, and Dumbledore cocked his head, "I was unaware that you kept in contact with her after the Tournament."

"We used Muggle post, Headmaster. It was a slight novelty for us. During the school year we exchanged owls."

"You are aware that Gabrielle is in fact a minor?"

Harry nodded, "Sure I am."

Dumbledore leaned forwards, a disapproving look on his face. "Gabrielle is a mere child Harry; a child of twelve years old despite the year she is attending at this school."

Harry sat back with a mild scoff, "Headmaster, Gabby is as much a child as I am the Queen of England. As you very well know, Veela mature very quickly when they reach their tenth birthday, both physically and mentally. This happens to balance their desires and natures with what they can actually achieve, and so in qualitative terms she is the same age as I am."

Dumbledore let out a sad, pitying sigh, and sat back in his chair. "Harry, she is still legally a minor, and her Veela allure is likely influencing you." He held up his hand as Harry moved to interrupt, "It is not the kind of relationship you require. Somebody like…Ginny Weasley perhaps, would be a better choice. She is less demanding to allow you to focus on Voldemort, she is studious and could help you with problems, and is not the highly emotional type like Veela are. Moreover, she is actually near your age."

"Headmaster, Ginny Weasley has a bad temper that she inherited, no slight intended to Missus Weasley, from her mother; is highly temperamental; _is_ high maintenance; would rather play quidditch than studying; and is more accustomed to _snogging_ rather than engaging in a fulfilling emotional relationship which I am seeking and receiving from Gabrielle." Harry stared at Dumbledore with a deadpanned expression, "I have proof to back my claims, and many others would testify to my words."

"That may be Mister Potter, but the fact remains that she is young enough for your relationship to be seen as…" the old man shrugged helplessly, "paedophilic. You could get into a lot of trouble with both the law and her family if they found out."

"Sir, respectfully, the only way they would find out would be if you went and spouted your mouth off in the Great Hall or something like that." When he saw the shrug and helpless expression on Dumbledore's face he scoffed at him. "Oh, so that's how it's going to be."

Another shrug, "Mister Potter, I cannot condone your relationship in this school. If that is what it takes to stop this illegal association between yourself and Miss Delacour then I will do so."

"Then I will transfer to Beauxbatons," he replied with a shrug, and Dumbledore frowned.

"I am afraid that that is not possible Mister Potter; your parent's will stipulated that you must attend Hogwarts." Harry had already known that, but had thought it would add to the old man's feeling of triumph before it all came crashing down around him.

Harry frowned, and then brightened. "And what if Monsieur Delacour gave his informed consent on our relationship."

"I'm afraid that that would not work either Mister Potter; the Wizengamot would still rule it illegal."

"Well perhaps we should call Monsieur Delacour here and see what he thinks about the situation," Harry replied with a stubborn pout, and he almost grinned when he saw the burst of triumph in Dumbledore's eyes.

"Perhaps we shall. Dobby!" A moment later the small elf popped into the room, and before he could run over to Harry and begin fussing Dumbledore ordered him to bring Gabrielle to them.

Harry, at that moment, was truly looking forwards to what was going to happen. As Albus walked over to the Floo Gabrielle flamed into existence, and when she caught sight of Harry she beamed at him and immediately walked over to sit in his lap. When Dumbledore stuck his head into the green flames Harry leant down to her ear, «_Play along __ma chère._»

He leant back and winked at her, and mischievousness danced in her sapphire orbs as she nodded. A moment later Jean stepped regally out of the floo and looked at Dumbledore in confusion. "Albus, what is going on? Is Gabrielle okay?"

The old man's answer was to point to Harry who was nibbling at Gabrielle's neck, and the Frenchman's face turned bright red; his veins popping out of his forehead. «_OH MY GOD I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT THIS FREAKING IDIOT CALLED ME HERE TO TELL YOU TWO OFF, GABRIELLE I AM SO PROUD OF YOU!»_

Tears pooled in Gabrielle's eyes at the words, and Harry could feel the happiness flooding over their connection as she screamed back at her father, «_I WOULD HUG YOU RIGHT NOW IF I WASN'T ENJOYING ANNOYING THIS OLD CODGER SO MUCH! HE PROPOSED TO ME LAST NIGHT AND IT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL!_»

Harry's voice when he entered the argument was low and calm, but the power rolling off him definitely added to the angry effect. «_Jean, thank you so much for what you've done for us. All jokes aside, when I put that ring on your daughter's finger I felt as if I didn't need a single thing more in my life. It's something I've always wanted, and I am proud to be a part of your family, even if it isn't legally yet._»

"Quiet!" They all fell silent at Dumbledore's yell, and Harry almost rolled his eyes when he saw the powerful mask he was trying to project. He was, apparently, going to come down hard with the 'I am the wise one' persona to swing Jean to angering even further than he apparently already was. "In English please, and let's discuss this as responsible adults." As he explained what the problem was Jean's mouth tightened, and Gabrielle's and Harry's faces twisted slightly in an attempt to not laugh, but Dumbledore saw it as his plan working perfectly. Five minutes later he sighed as he looked at Jean, "And so now that you are here we can put this problem behind us."

There was a silence for several seconds before all three broke into uproarious laughter, and Dumbledore looked positively astonished. It took nearly three entire minutes for them to calm down, and when they did Jean grinned at Harry. "You're right Harry; he did pull the wise card."

Harry shrugged and took the galleon Jean offered him before pocketing it and smiling as Gabrielle leapt up and embraced her father. Jean saw him standing back and held out his arm to bring him into a three-way embrace. Finally they broke apart and Jean looked at the two before placing a hand one of their shoulders and looking each one dead in the eye with a wide smile, "I am very proud of you both." He turned to Harry, "I know I've said it before, but I truly cannot think of a better man for my daughter. You treat her with a respect that seems to have been lost to the ages; like the purpose of your life, and I approve." Harry nodded thankfully before pulling the man into a quick embrace, and Jean seemed to know just how much such an action meant to the young man. They broke apart and then returned to their seats; Harry easily carrying Jean's to sit beside him and Gabrielle, and the young Veela snuggled into Harry's lap as they all took their seats.

It was nearly an entire minute later that Dumbledore managed to compose himself enough to speak. "I was not expecting this."

Harry laughed and rolled his eyes, "Of course you weren't Headmaster. As you can see, things are not in your favour in this instance…and neither were they in your favour with young Draco or the illegal Legilimency you and your Potion's master perform." He jabbed his finger over his shoulder at the still-unconscious man and shrugged happily, "So the question of the moment is…what are you going to do now?"

"As I said Mister Potter, this relationship is still illegal-"

He stopped as Harry threw a sheaf of paper onto his desk, and his eyes widened as he realized that it was a Marriage Contract. When he took in the date his eyes darkened, and he turned to Harry with a small scowl. "Mister Potter, you were not author-" Another slap as a second piece of paper jointed the first, and the scowl deepened as he read the notice dated a day prior to the contract proclaiming Harry emancipated and able to claim all of his adult rights. "There must be written permission from the Board of Governors to allow two engaged students to be in proximi-"

Another slap of paper, and he turned slightly pink, before glaring at Harry as he threw the rest of the envelope onto his desk. He sat back with a self-satisfied smirk and gently stroked Gabrielle's hand as the documents were all looked over by the old man, and all three smiled brilliantly when he looked up from the paperwork and scowled. "Albus, Harry is a wonderful young man who, even though he is targeted by Voldemort because of the prophesy," Dumbledore's eyes widened, "is the perfect companion and mate for my daughter. I would thank you if you would stop playing your games with their relationship at stake."

Dumbledore looked astonished, clearly not having expected Jean to have taken Harry and his daughter's side so strongly, and then let out a deep sigh before looking at all three wearily. "I suppose that I cannot change your minds in any way?"

All three shook their heads firmly, and he sighed again before looking to Harry when he spoke. "Headmaster, as of late you have disappointed me. You have manipulated my life, torn unbridgeable holes in my friendships, and ruined the trust I invested in you. Hermione has finally pushed me too far, Ginny has been spying on me for you," Dumbledore's face paled, "and Ron just doesn't seem to give much of a damn about our friendship any more. In fact, I've seen him a grand total of _once_ since the opening feast as I go to bed later than the back-stabbing git. The only person I have now is Gabby. She's my best friend, my fiancé," all eyes sprung to the ring glittering on her finger, and jaws dropped, "and she will one day be my wife if I have my way with the bigoted British laws. I know I need to kill Voldemort, you know I need to kill Voldemort, so I am asking you _nicely_ to cease your plans for me."

"Harry-"

"Mister Potter," Harry gently corrected, "and I will do it with or without your permission. I am better prepared now than I ever was, and it is due to Gabrielle and her family supporting me." Dumbledore looked surprised, and Harry rolled his eyes slightly, "If you haven't figured it out now then you never will. Gabby _is_ Melissa Sanders; Jean provided us with the books to read, and Adelynn and Fleur are friendly enough with me as well. I have family now Headmaster, and if you try and split me from them you will not like the consequences. If you think I am 'out of control' now…" he left the threat hanging, and the two men, both hardened by the wars they had fought, stared at each other for several moments before Dumbledore gave and nodded slightly.

"I will think about what we have discussed tonight Mister Potter. I assure you that I will not interfere with your relationships again."

Harry inclined his head slightly and stood from his chair, immediately taking Gabrielle's hand in his, before turning to Jean and initiating another three-way hug. «_We will see you this weekend Jean._»

The Frenchman nodded, and with another whisper about how happy he was for the two of them he bade everybody goodbye and disappeared into the green flames of the floo. Just before Harry walked out of the door with Gabby however, Dumbledore asked him, "How did you know about Ginny?"

He smiled once and answered as the door closed behind them. "We all have our secrets Headmaster."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: I know that Amelia Bones died in the summer of 1996 in canon, but let's just assume for my story's sake that she's still alive shall we?**

"Professor!"

Minerva turned her head and nearly groaned when she saw Harry motioning to her, once more just as she was about to enter her office, and opened the door before waving him inside. He took a seat of his own accord and she sat behind her desk before fixing him with her customary stern expression and waving her hand. "How may I help you Mister Potter?"

She noticed his eyes darken slightly before returning to normal, and he sent her a tense smile. "In more ways than you can possibly imagine. I would like to beg your patience for a moment however; I'm expecting another person for this meeting."

She raised an eyebrow but nodded her assent, and both sat back in silence until, a minute later, a tentative knock came echoed out in the room and Gabrielle poked her head in. McGonagall's eyebrows raised a fraction before waving the young woman in, but she couldn't help the slackening of her jaw when Harry waved his hand vaguely and transfigured his chair into the familiar black leather couch. "Mister Potter, Miss Delacour, I am afraid that you have me at a loss. What are you here to discuss with me today?"

Harry pulled out his wand, and after casting several very, very high powered privacy wards around them he relaxed slightly. "Professor, I wish it had never come to this – I really do, but it has. I cannot trust the Headmaster any more, and so I wanted to know if I could come to you."

"Of course you ca-"

"With _full_ confidentiality."

She stared at him for several long moments before sitting back and giving him a suspicious look. "What had brought this suddenly on, Mister Potter?"

He pulled a sheet of paper from his pocket and handed it to her, and her eyebrows rose more than just a little this time. "That, among other things. He has manipulated me one time too many, and he knows that, but I need somebody here that I can trust Professor; somebody that has _my_ best interests at heart. The reason I am asking this is because I know that you are in the Order, and I do not want to cause any conflict of interest."

"Mister Potter, I can assure you-"

"Just like you assured me that the Philosophers Stone was safe?" She froze, and he sighed as he rubbed the bridge of his nose, "Professor, some of the things I wish to trust you with could get me in a lot of danger if it was known to others. I _need_ to know that I can trust you before I divulge any more than just my engagement to Gabby."

Silence reigned for several long moments. "Is any of this information illegal?"

Harry nodded without pause, "Most certainly."

"Then I cannot help you."

Harry was a little taken aback for several moments before nodding slightly. "I appreciate your honesty, although I cannot help but feel disappointed." He took the parchment back and put it back into his robes before giving her a civil nod, took Gabby's hand, banished the couch, and collapsed the wards. Three minutes later Gabrielle was looking at Harry worriedly, and he caught her look. He sighed. "I'm sorry Gabby, I just can't get over just how…corrupted this place is! She's always going on about how we should always help each other, and she didn't even ask whether or not the 'illegal' things were dangerous to her or the students." She squeezed his hand in understanding; his frustration flaring across their bond, and then paused for a second before pulling him up the stairs to a part of the castle he had never really been to before. After several minutes they came to a portrait depicting a starry sky.

He raised an eyebrow at her, and she nodded to him. "I think we can trust her, and we can ask for an oath as well. She could also be very useful for the darker aspects of our natures."

After several moments he nodded with a smile, "If you think that she can be trusted then I do to."

She smiled brilliantly as she knocked, and a moment later a voice begged them entry as the door swung inwards to admit them entrance into a cosy study. The dark-haired witch looked up from a stack of papers she was marking and smiled at Gabrielle. "Miss Delacour!" Her eyes then flicked to Harry and her expression turned slightly confused, "Mister Potter. How may I help you?"

Harry, not having ever met the woman before, decided to let Gabrielle take the lead on this one, and sat down in one of the offered seats before taking Gabby's hand once more when she sat down. "Harry and I need somebody to trust; somebody that will help us and guide us if we need it. We need somebody here in the school that we can talk to without fear of things being spread around, and somebody who knows runes and the darker sides to magic. Are you that person?"

A frown furrowed at Professor Vector's brow as she leant forwards. "Have you spoken to the Headmaster? Perhaps your head of house?"

Gabrielle nodded stiffly. "Yes, and both of them are not suited to what we need."

Vector's expression turned surprised, and slightly shocked, and Harry leant forwards. "The Headmaster, if he knew some of the things we wish to get advice on, would likely use it to blackmail us to do his bidding. We need a friend right now; not an authority figure, and most certainly not somebody who has their own agenda."

"Albus wouldn't-"

"A week ago he discovered that I was engaged in a romantic relationship with Gabby, and he threated to expose me as a paedophile unless I broke it off. You can see why we are less than trusting of the Headmaster."

A moments silence as that information sunk in, and then, "What about Professor McGonagall?"

"She told us that she could not be what we were asking for because she would not _not_ share what we said with the Headmaster. Not in those words, but it was most certainly implied," answered Gabrielle, and the witch looked at the couple in front of her carefully.

There was a deep silence for nearly five minutes before the Professor sat back in her chair and spoke. "The things which you would be confiding in me… are they dangerous?"

Gabrielle nodded, "But only if they were spread around."

Another silence. "And what of the dark magic?"

Harry shook his head, "Not in the way you are thinking. We require advice and guidance, as our dilemmas involve them quite heavily. At the present time they are not a danger to anybody."

"At the present time?"

Harry nodded gravely, "Everything will turn dangerous when Voldemort gets involved." Vector paled noticeably, and Harry looked right at her. "We will need your guidance in things far outside the Hogwarts curriculum; possibly in some very illegal aspects of the Dark Arts. You don't need to teach us them, we will not force you to do anything but keep our confidence."

She looked them both over and then nodded slightly. "Fine, but if I refuse to do something or answer something then you will not push the issue. There are things that I would rather not talk of."

"Horcruxes?"

Her eyes snapped to Gabrielle's amused eyes and she frowned. "Among other things. I won't ask where you learned about that _foul_ piece of magic."

There was a short, tense silence and Harry timidly leant forwards. "I mean no slight, but could we get an oath to protect our privacy? And could I check your Occlumency shields?"

Her eyebrows shot up at both questions, but she eventually nodded. After bantering over the oath for a few minutes so find the right wording Professor Vector swore the oath to Harry as Gabrielle witnessed, and then Harry tested her shields. He allowed the power behind his probe to build and build until it snapped through her barriers, and he immediately pulled out before he could make sense of anything. Vector gaped at him, and Gabrielle gave a small giggle at the expression. "How the hell did you do that?! Even Albus can't break through my shields!" An excited look entered her eyes and she leant forwards, "Can I test your shields?" Harry thought for a moment before nodding and closing his eyes, and he caught her small whine of, "No fair, I didn't get to prepare!"

He chuckled as he worked with his magic and when he opened his eyes he grinned, "I wasn't preparing; I was disabling several of my defences." She gave a quiet snort and Harry raised an amused eyebrow, "Or would you rather I put them back up and reduce you to projectile vomiting like I did with the Headmaster at the Opening Feast?"

"That was you?!"

She gaped at Harry, and he buffed his fingernails on his robes before muttering a 'sorry' to Gabrielle's teasing, "Arrogance is not becoming _mon Amour_."

"But…Albus is a Master Legilimens?"

Harry nodded with a small smile as Gabrielle leant over and rested her head on his shoulder. "He is, as is Snape. His slight visit to the Hospital wing yesterday morning was also my doing when he tried to invade my mind."

Vector looked rightly amazed, and then nodded. "I'll listen."

Harry smiled brightly, and then pressed a small kiss to Gabrielle's upturned lips before turning back to the woman and handing her the marriage contract. When the young Professor realized just what she held in her hands, and what it meant, she stared at the two in shock. Gabby smiled. "Yes, and that is the least shocking thing we'll be talking about. We became betrothed four weeks ago today."

"Least shocking?" she rubbed her eyes and then looked at them before muttering, "This should be good."

"Professor, what are your thoughts on Dark Creatures?"

She shot Gabrielle a look and then answered, "I think my actions speak for themselves in regards Gabrielle."

Harry shook his head, "I'm talking in general Professor."

She thought for a moment. "I suppose…I think they deserve the same rights as all of us, and should be punished just the same as we are for illegal actions."

Harry nodded, and then looked to Gabrielle for reassurance before continuing. She nodded, and he looked the older woman in the eyes before standing and moving into the darkened corner of the room before disappearing into the shadows. She stood up, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, but then spun around, her eyes wide and her wand swinging around when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Harry easily snatched her wand from her fingertips, and then looked at her with a slightly amused expression. "You can't apparate in Hogwarts!"

Harry froze, and then broke into laughter as he handed her wand back and returned to his seat. "Not unless they expended a hell of a lot of energy to go through the wards. I did not apparate Professor; I travelled by a different method."

She frowned, information on the tip of her consciousness, and with an irritated huff she went over to her bookcase and pulled out a book before flicking wildly through it. The engaged couple just watched her with identical amused expressions, and watched her face pale when she came upon the entry she was looking for. Her eyes flickered from Harry to the page, and then back to Harry several times before she voiced her findings in a shocked whisper. "You're a Vampire?"

Harry shrugged, "Pretty much."

"But how- I've seen you walking outside during the day!"

Gabrielle smiled up at Harry, "He's not a normal Vampire Professor. He only needs blood once every so often; sunlight is a mere irritation; and his appearance hasn't changed as drastically as most Vampires."

Deciding that what she was hearing was merely the tip of the iceberg she sat back down, opened a drawer, pulled out a bottle of scotch, poured herself quite a measure and then slammed it back in one hit before saying, "Right, what's next?"

After nearly three hours the pair sat back and waited, and the Arithmancy Professor stared at them more than a little at a loss. After a minute to gather herself she took in a deep breath and rubbed her eyes tiredly. "So you're bonded to each other and are fighting your own war against Voldemort?" They nodded and she sat back with a sigh. "When you knocked I was not expecting this."

Harry snorted, "You think I expected to be part-turned at the beginning of the holidays?"

She had to give him that and nodded in agreement. After several more long moments she nodded to herself and then stood from her chair. "I'll help you, but for now I just need to think. Give me a few days and I'll get back to you."

The pair nodded and thanked her with smiles before walking out the door and heading back to their Common Room. "That went better than I anticipated," quipped Gabrielle, and Harry nodded slightly.

When they walked through the Gryffindor portrait however, it was to the glares of two angry females, and the rest of the house holding their breaths in anticipation of the inevitable showdown. Harry and Gabby didn't even give them the satisfaction, and breezed past the red-faced Hermione before heading to their respective dormitories with one last, lingering kiss at the top of the stairs.

When he entered his dormitory he froze, and then looked around suspiciously. His eyes snapped onto a spot in the corner, and his eyebrows raised a fraction. "Ron, next time you steal my invisibility cloak I _will_ clock you one."

A second later Harry found himself facing an irate Weasley, but not one to be intimidated he leant on the doorframe and stared him down. Ron suddenly felt rather insignificant, but said what he had been intending to say all the same. "You're not dating Ginny!"

Harry rolled his eyes and walked over to his bed before getting changed. It was, in fact, the first night he had slept in his bed. Every other night he had stayed up talking to Gabrielle, and had awoken in the morning to find her curled comfortably up beside him. "Ron, I am not _required_ to date your sister, nor am I required to put up with her petty jealousy." He saw the teen's ears pink, and knew that there was an impending blow up, and so decided to nip the issue in the bud. "How many boyfriends has your sister had in the past two years?"

Ron had to think about that for a moment before counting on his fingers, and several seconds later he answered with a frown. "Six, but-"

"And how many girls have I dated Ron?"

"One, but-"

"I am clearly a male who prefers to have a meaningful relationship Ron. I do not need a fangirl who wants to show me off for my fame, or share in it. I do not want a woman who _requires_ constant doting on, and I most certainly don't need a woman who goes behind my back and reports what I do to Dumbledore."

Ron frowned, "Mate, Ginny wouldn't do tha-"

"She did, just two days ago in fact. She went and told Dumbledore that I was dating Gabrielle, and in the holidays she busted me sneaking out at night and got Dumbledore involved. Why did you think he was in the hallway nursing a bruised shin at eleven at night Ron? He was there because I kicked him out of my room after he came at your sister's call." He sat down on the bed and sighed. "Look Ron, our friendship is pretty shaky at the moment. My friendship with Hermione no longer exists, and your sister is an annoyance. It's never going to be like it was a few months ago again. I have Gabby in my life now, and I'll be with her for as long as she wants me, okay?"

Ron sat on his bed and thought for several moments, and then nodded. A second later a voice came from behind the closed curtains of Neville's bed. "You'd better be nodding your bloody head Weasley or I'll come out there and thump you myself." Harry smirked, and a second later Neville's face appeared in the split of the fabric around his bed. He nodded to Harry and sent him a friendly smile. "If it's any consolation Harry, I've got your back. I've seen the way you and Gabrielle look at each other, and I couldn't think of a better person for such a good thing to happen to."

Harry beamed at the previously timid black-haired botanist and with a grin flicked him the marriage contract. A second later a shocked, "Well tickle me pink and call me Daisy!" came from behind the curtain.

His head poked back out and his expression was so unexpected that Harry burst into laughter, and the young wizard pinked when he realized that he had said that aloud. "Well tickle me pink and keep it a secret, yeah Nev?"

Neville nodded, lobbed him back the parchment, and then disappeared back into his bed with wide eyes muttering about 'never a dull bloody moment'. Ron looked confused, but Harry just shook his head and pulled his curtains around his bed before grabbing his wand and casting numerous wards around him for privacy, protection, and defence against any pranks or attacks. Suffice to say that if anybody tried anything they'd be getting their just deserts. As he lay on the silk sheets he had transfigured his mind whizzed along at a million miles an hour. Not only had tonight brought forth an adult potentially sympathetic to their cause, but he had found a newfound trust in the young Longbottom.

He had always known that the boy was loyal, but it hadn't been until the Department of Mysteries that he had truly seen just how different he was to the young, timid boy back in first year. He had grown into a fine young man that he was sure his parents would be proud of. After pondering over the day's events for nearly an hour he snuggled down into the covers and tried to fall into his meditative state that had taken over his normally-sleeping hours, but found himself twisting and turning this way and that trying to get comfortable. After nearly an entire hour he huffed in irritation and sat up with a muttered curse. He knew what the bloody problem was, but he-

His eyes widened, and a small grin of hope poked onto his face as his mind calculated the probabilities of success. Several minutes later he took in a deep breath and sunk himself into the shadows around him, and carefully reached out across his bond to Gabrielle so as not to alert her of his presence. He could feel her irritation clearer now that he was immersing himself in his magic, and smiled to himself as he wondered what her reaction would be in a moment's time. Getting a lock on her core he felt for the shadows that would be surrounding her and the huge space beaconed him. Taking another deep breath he allowed himself to slide into the other place, and several long and tense moments later he allowed his consciousness to resurface. His feet lightly touched down on her bed, and she jolted into a sitting position when she felt her mattress sink. He saw her wand appear in her hand and quickly sent a surge of reassurance across their connection before she could finish the rather nasty cutting hex. Her eyes widened, and she squinted at him; her own eyes not having the advantage in the night. «_Harry?_»

He sat down and crawled up to lay beside her and one of the biggest smiles he had ever seen on her face burst forth as she caught his pulsing eyes in the darkness. She buried herself almost immediately into his chest while hugging him tightly, and after transfiguring her sheets into the silk she had in her own bedroom in France he slipped underneath the covers with her and waited. Several moments later she smiled shyly up at him, and he couldn't help but smile back at just how pretty she looked. «_Would you like to stay the night?_»

He smiled just as she had smiled in the holidays when he had asked her the same question and nodded. «_I would love to._»

She beamed back at him and then snuggled deep into his chest; her bare legs intertwining with his eliciting a small gasp from both of them at just how right and wonderful their skin felt against the other's. «_Gabby…»_

She nuzzled closer, making his breath hitch as she pressed a small kiss to his chest. «_I know my Love, but this is just another step for us. I will be content to just sleep with you for quite some time._» He let out a breath of relief and she smirked up at him in the darkness, «_One could get the impression that you do not want me in that way?_»

He gaped and shook his head violently, blushing at the same time, and then averted his eyed from hers. «_I do Gabby, you know that, but I- I just want to take this slow._»

She chuckled into his chest and nodded, «_I know that mon amour, so do I. I was just teasing._»

He relaxed and she snuggled closer, but his eyebrows rose when he caught sight of some scratching in the wood above their heads. He looked closer in the darkness, and then a huge grin spread over his face. "Well call me mushroom."

She looked up at him in confusion, and with a muttered spell under his breath his fingertip lit up with a dull but comforting yellowish light. He stood up on her mattress, and she did the same before following his finger to the initials JP and SB etched into the wood followed by the dates 1975 and 1977 respectively. She turned to him, confused, and he muttered with a sad smile, "James Potter and Sirius Black."

He placed his hand over the etchings, and a moment later removed it to reveal '_HP – 1996 (not a sleezy prat like Prongs and Padfoot)_'. Gabrielle smiled at him and then pressed a gentle kiss to his lips; knowing that what he had just done had made him feel a little bit closer to his father and his godfather. She pulled him back down after several minutes embracing, and then curled herself to him once more. He froze when, nearly an hour later as she wriggled around to get comfortable, his hand slipped under the back of her shirt and was in direct contact with the bare skin of her back. He couldn't deny how wonderful it felt to be touching skin that he knew hadn't been touched by another since she was a little girl, but felt slightly apprehensive about how she would feel about it. He carefully attempted to slip his hand back out, but froze again when she sleepily mumbled, «_Don't you dare; I'm enjoying it as much as you are._»

And with that he closed his eyes and smiled as he drifted deep within himself; immersing his entire being in the emotions and feel of Gabby with him.

***AWD***

The entirety of Gryffindor house gaped at the completely shocking spectacle in front of them. The majority of the house had just been filing out of the portrait for breakfast when a yell had come from the dorms, and jaws slackened while eyes widened when, a moment later, Harry James Potter; saviour of the wizarding world; the Man-Who-Lived; the object of so many female affections, burst from one of the female dorm rooms in just his boxers and a t-shirt with a worried look on his face as he tore down the stairs quickly chased by Professor McGonagall glaring daggers at his rapidly retreating back. "POTTER!"

They watched as he looked frantically around, and then turned their heads upwards when another yell came from the top of the stairs. McGonagall paused for a moment to look at the noise, which gave Harry just enough time to catch the robes that Gabrielle threw to him and quickly translocate them onto his body before sprinting full tilt out the portrait with the Scotswoman hot on his heels. Pretty much everybody was gaping except Neville, who shrugged, gave a happy nod to Gabrielle, and then exited the room with a spring in his step as he meandered down to breakfast.

By the time Harry walked into the Great Hall the rumour mill had well and truly churned out the tale of the scandalous escapade, and everybody quietened as Harry sat down with a small blush on his face. Gabrielle snickered with her own blush, having been receiving shocked looks ever since _she_ had entered, but both froze when the oh-so-familiar voice came yelling from the Slytherin table. "So _Potter_, managed to get your way into that little slut's pants eh? Too bad she dirtied herself with a _half-blood_ like you; I could've shown her what a real man was like as I pounded into her over a desk like the dog she is."

You could have heard a pin drop. Many of the staff were too gobsmacked to do anything, and Snape had a look of triumph on his face as he sneered at Harry. Dumbledore had been called away that morning for an ICW meeting, and so Harry didn't bother with subtlety. Every single limiter he had ever imposed on his magic snapped like a taught string, and the darkness of his nature welled up inside of him. He snarled in complete and utter fury, and people began rapidly backing away when they saw his sharpened canines. Draco rapidly paled, realizing far, far too late that he had gone too far, and scrambled away from Harry as he quite literally stalked across the tables; walking easily over the thin air between them with only the blonde in his burning gaze.

An instant later Draco found himself slammed up against the stone wall; the unseen pressure on his chest making him wheeze desperately for breath. Harry was not inclined to allow him that liberty, and pressed harder; the pressure forcing the last vestiges of air from his lungs. His eyes held terror as he looked at Harry, and the young man himself stared deep into his eyes before pounding through his flimsy Occlumency barriers and plundering his mind. His darkness allowed him to view the repulsive, sadistic memories without succumbing to the feeling himself, and after he had ripped each and every bit of useful information from the youth's mind he allowed the Slytherin to drop to the floor in a lifeless heap.

His ears rang slightly from the screams that had been tearing themselves from Malfoy's throat as he none-to-gently ripped through his memories like a rabid werewolf, and after several moments he turned to Snape with a furious scowl. The smirk that had long since disappeared once again twisted onto his pale face, and as the man stood to loudly berate Harry the waves of power focussed solely on him. His face paled just like Draco's had, and the silence in the hall deepened as Harry strode towards him; his robes billowing out behind him in a way Snape could never achieve. The potion's master took a weary step backwards, fear on his face as he scrambled for his wand, but before either man could do anything a loud voice filled with power echoed out around the hall, "STOP!"

Harry's eyes never left Snape's as he halted mid-step. "Headmaster, so good of you to show up. Mister Malfoy has already received his punishment for insulting and upsetting Gabrielle, all by the law I assure you. In fact he is lucky that I merely reduced him to something akin to a vegetable." His eyes flashed as his hand twitched irritably. "Your Potions professor, however, has not received his due."

A tired sigh came from the bearded man as he strode down between the silent tables towards the two men, "Harry, we have already discussed this. I trust Professor Sna-"

"To be quite honest Headmaster, your opinion means precisely jack _shit_ to me right at this moment." Gasps came from the student body, and Harry finally averted his eyes from the fearful ones of Snape so that he could turn his attention to Dumbledore's disappointed pale blue. "Your _trusted_ Professor here instructed young Malfoy in the use of a dark ritual to force a Veela bond, and then provided him with Gabrielle's class schedule while advising him on the best place to catch her unawares." Dumbledore's widened in shock, and Harry smirked. "Interesting… I can see that your _trusted_ _friend_ here didn't inform you of his plans if I go by your expression. Foregoing the fact that she _cannot_ be bonded now, and that I would know the moment she was in trouble, I could quite easily and legally remove Snivellus from the grounds and torture him till he was blubbering like an idiot before offing him after I had pillaged his mind of all his secrets."

"Mister Potter, we should move this discussion to my office."

"No," Harry replied simply, "because the moment this conversation becomes private then you will be able to threaten me without repercussion. I will not allow Snivellus to get away with what he has done to either myself or Gabrielle this time; he will get his just deserts."

Before anybody could move a four stunners had met their mark and blown Snape liberally off his feet, and Harry turned around in surprise to see Neville, Luna and Gabrielle standing from their seats; their wands still glowing at the tips with energy. His head snapped around at a loud crack, and he forced down a grin as he saw Professor Vector surreptitiously returning her foot to under the staff table after rearranging Snape's face quite nicely. After a moment he snapped his fingers; hoisting Snape into the air with a levitation spell, wrapped his arm comfortingly and lovingly around Gabrielle's still-shaking frame, and walking out of the hall with one last call of, "Anybody who wants to help or see Snape get taken away by the aurors, come with me!"

Watching the four students walk out of the hall Professor Vector scrambled over the table and sprinted to catch up, and then all hell broke loose as virtually every student in Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Gryffindor burst from their seats and tore full-tilt out the doors. It truly was a sight to behold. Over six hundred black-robed students filed excitedly after the arrow-head at the front, led by Harry Potter, Gabrielle, Neville, Luna and Professor Vector. Behind the huge expanse of students Dumbledore and the rest of the Professors trailed stiffly. When they reached the gates Harry turned to Gabby and nodded, whereupon another powerful stunner hit the man in the chest.

Harry let him drop bonelessly to the ground, and then quickly cast him in chains, ropes, and any other restrictive physical entity he could think of before banishing him against the inside Hogwarts walls without batting an eyelid. Turning his head to the gathered students he raised his wand to his throat. "Everybody please listen." The silence followed almost immediately, and Harry nodded with a small smile. "We've all suffered at the hands of this man. His conduct is criminal and unprofessional, and it's time for us to stand up and be heard." A huge cheer went up from the students, and Harry stepped outside the gates with one last squeeze of Gabby's hand. She smiled back at him, and he nodded to Professor Vector, the silent message of '_Make sure she's alright'_ clear in his eyes. "I beg your patience for a few minutes; I need to summon the Aurors."

With a tiny squeak like that of a mouse Harry apparated away from the ancient castle, and a moment later allowed himself to be funnelled directly to Diagon Alley's apparition point. As soon as his foot touched solid ground he was moving right towards the Daily Prophet, and people moved well out his way. Nobody recognized him of course; his changes were far too extreme for that, but that suited his purpose fine as he burst through the main doors, pushed his way past the spluttering secretary, and tracked down the familiar magical signature to an office door…which he quite liberally slammed open. Rita looked up from her desk in shock, and Harry leant against the doorway with a raised eyebrow. "Well?"

The reporter looked at him like he was mad. "Well what?! Who the hell are you?"

"I'm the bloke who's going to give you the scoop of the year, and I'm going to do it the moment you promise to always write about me in a positive light."

Rita's eyes narrowed, "What kind of scoop?"

Harry shrugged, "Oh, just the public arrest of Severus Snape, current Hogwarts Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor. Oh, and I think I should tell you that the entire student body sans Slytherin are backing the arrest and have all agreed to testify against him to stop his abuse of them." He smiled ferally. "All seven hundred and sixty three of them. Add to that the fact that Dumbledore tried to hush it up in front of all of those students, and tried to stop the Head of two Ancient and Noble houses from punishing the git for plotting the rape, unwilling enslavement, and torture of his fiancé…well I'd say that it's quite the scoop Miss Skeeter." Her eyes positively glowed with the fame she foresaw in her future, but Harry pushed forwards to burst her bubble, "Of course, my allowing you to witness this spectacle with your photographer is contingent on your promise to sign a legally binding contract to the effect that you will never slander me; my friends; my family; or my goals. You will also agree to, from the moment of the signing forth, publish at least one story per week about me in a very, very positive light. If you agree to that, you get your fame."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "That is a lot to give up."

Harry smiled at her, "Then perhaps we can come to a mutually beneficial agreement. How much are you paid per week Miss Skeeter?"

Deciding that the man in front of her must be very influential, she did embellish the figure slightly. "Two hundred and fifty galleons." Okay, she was embellishing a _lot_.

Harry shrugged easily, "Then I will hire you for three hundred, and you can continue working here while receiving your wage as well. You will work for me, writing the stories I tell you to write with the information I give you, with the side I wish you to portray." Her eyes boggled at the figure, and without even a moment's hesitation she signed the document he conjured on her desk with the quill he provided. When she felt the prickle on the back of her hand she paled. She had just signed a contract to an unknown man with her blood, and she hadn't even read it. His large smile did nothing to quell her fears. "Who are you?" she asked fearfully, and when he flicked his fringe up to reveal his scar she nearly fainted. "Harry Potter?!"

He nodded happily and duplicated the document twice, one for her, one for Gringotts, and the original for himself, before speaking. "Yes Rita, me. I wouldn't worry, I won't screw you over like you would me." He peered at his watch and clucked his tongue. "You should get a move on and head to Hogwarts. I want this story very much in favour of the student body and myself, minus the _majority_ of Slytherin house. As for the Head of the two houses…well that's clearly me, and so Dumbledore will most likely tell you about my actions against one Draco Malfoy to discredit me. He is, by all counts, brain-dead. His mind is ruined beyond repair after I tore through it and discovered all – but that will all be explained at the Gates."

"Bu-but you said that that person had a fiancé!"

Harry nodded his head with a smirk, "I do, so there's another scoop for you. Perhaps you could paint it as a true love that has pushed past all barriers and obstacles?" Suddenly Rita didn't feel so ripped off, and a predatory grin spread across her face. "I also want you to paint the Ministry as being incompetent. Umbridge, their high inquisitor, who was headmistress for a time last year got along splendidly with Snape. I'm sure that you could interview a few students to get your sources. As for Dumbledore, I want him marginalized. Make it out that he has too much on his plate, and perhaps he should concentrate solely on being Headmaster instead of juggling all of his other titles at the same time. See you there!" and with that Harry turned on his heel and left the building before disappearing into a shadow and reappearing outside of the Ministry.

Breezing quickly through the signing in he made his way into the elevator positively dripping power. When he stepped out on the DMLE floor everybody froze, and he noticed with a small smile that several milling aurors were fingering their wands nervously. Taking advantage of the silence he called out, "I need to speak to Madam Bones immediately!"

A moment later a door at the end of the room opened and a stern-faced woman stepped out, also fingering her wand. "I'm here. Who are you and what do you want?"

Harry brushed his fringe aside and a few jaws dropped. He grinned, "And as for what I want, I want you and several of your best aurors to follow me to the gates of Hogwarts to arrest Severus Snape for conspiracy to rape a member of _two_ Ancient and Noble houses, namely Black and Potter; the intent to Murder the _Head_ of those same houses; teaching the Dark Arts to a student in an attempt to forcefully enslave a member of Potter and Black houses; and over ten thousand counts of abuse of minors…throw in the fact that he's a convicted Death Eater on top of that and you've got an airtight case against the bastard." There was dead silence for several moments before with a flurry of activity Harry found himself leading Amelia and a group of combat-ready Aurors to the Ministry's one-way apparition point. Amelia moved to side-along Harry, but with a roguish grin, a flash of his international Apparation licence, and a wink he disappeared ahead of her. He arrived to the scene of Dumbledore trying to get to Snape; Rita gleefully recording every threat against the students if they didn't get out of his way, and the photographer snapping away like mad. When the students saw him appear a hush spread across the crowd, and Rita's eyes widened at the spectacle before almost cackling in delight as she scribbled furiously away in her notebook.

When the five heavily armed people arrived behind Harry the perfect picture was taken, and for years afterwards would be shown as a symbol of the light. While the Aurors commanded a presence, and Amelia stood even above them, Harry was in a league entirely of his own. As he walked forwards the students that had overflown past the walls parted for him; not one of them without an expression of awe or respect, and is robes billowed out behind him as his eyes glowed with an unearthly fire. When he reached the Headmaster who had finally managed to get to Snape's side, he stopped and then waved his arm to activate the ridiculously powerful wards on Snape's bindings to prevent any attempt at escape. Dumbledore looked at him in disappointment, but the young man wasn't inclined to care.

The Aurors surrounded Snape, warily looking around at the crowd for any threats, and Harry smiled broadly when Gabrielle dove into his open arms as soon as he had finished what he had to do. Rita's jaw nearly hit the floor, Amelia looked like she was catching on quickly, and Neville was smirking. He stroked her hair lightly and she relaxed fully before smiling brightly up at him. He could still see the slight pain that Draco's words had brought forth deep within her expressive blue eyes, but the happiness at being in his arms far outshone the scars of hurt.

"Students of Hogwarts," he yelled with a wide grin, "yell 'aye' if you have been abused by this man!" Virtually everybody yelled out in favour, and Amelia's face paled when she saw her niece standing beside Neville Longbottom yelling as hard as she could. "Yell 'aye' if you have suffered more than once!" Once more everybody save a few Slytherins yelled out, and Harry turned to the Headmaster to meet his gaze as he yelled out once more, "How many of you have suffered bodily harm from this man?" Once more everybody yelled, and Harry held up his wand with his eyes burning with justice. "Then we will swear to it!" The aurors, the Head of the DMLE, the press, and the Headmaster; Grand Sorcerer; Supreme Mugwump; and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot watched in mixed awe and shock as over seven hundred wands raised to the sky.

"I, Harry James Potter do so swear on my life and magic!" Everybody repeated after him, substituting their names for his, and the Photographer was almost peeing himself in excitement as he used a long-exposure film to capture the entire event. "That Severus Snape has abused me!" Everybody yelled out his words once more, and the lights at the ends of their wands brightened. "That Severus Snape has belittled me!" Again the lights brightened, matching even a lumos. "That Severus Snape has physically injured me!" This time the wands were positively pulsing with power as the latent magic in the air crackled and arched with power, "SO MOTE IT BE!"

With a yell that defied all imagination the entire area lit up with hundreds of blindingly bright lights, and several seconds later people finally opened their eyes again. Harry stood proud, and smiled at the assembled students before turning to Amelia with a slight scowl at the bound and unconscious Potions Master. He ignored Dumbledore's deathly pale face. Rita, however, did not. Neither did her photographer. "Madam Bones." She snapped her attention away from her niece's strong gaze, and fixed her eyes on Harry's. She found that she could not look away. "I, Harry James Potter, Head of the Ancient and Noble houses of Potter and Black, charge Severus Snape with the following: conspiracy to forcefully enslave my fiancé Gabrielle Delacour," gasps came from virtually everybody in the area, and both of the lovers fought down brilliant smiles; now wasn't the time. "Conspiracy to rape my fiancé; conspiracy to murder me; illegal use of Legilimency in an attempt to break into both my fiancé's and my own mind; slander on myself, fiancé, and family name; physical abuse; mind rape in my fifth year; threatening to use a Ministry controlled substance, in this case Veritaserum; indirect murder of my parents by betraying information to Voldemort," he ignored the shudders and squeals, "multiple threats on my person, and being an _active_ Death Eater."

Amelia had her jaw agape by this point, and her Aurors had been casting stunners at the bound man for the latter half of Harry's seemingly endless list of accusations, but just as she was about to speak Harry continued with one last tirade. "I charge Draco Malfoy with the following charges; intent to rape and forcefully enslave my fiancé; use of Class One Dark Arts in a school duel; use of the Dark Arts in an attempt to maim or kill me in multiple counts; slander and threats against my family and self on multiple counts; and emotionally scarring my fiancé with a graphic depiction of raping her knowing full well how Veela react to threats upon themselves and their mates."

"I will make enquir-"

"As to the latest offence of Mister Malfoy however," Harry interrupted, "I took matters into my own hands. As the Head of an Ancient and Noble house, two in fact, I withhold the right to address threats and slights on my family with any force I deem necessary. Due to the graphic nature of the comments and threat, and the hurt it caused my Gabrielle, I have used that right to ensure that Mister Malfoy can never bring his sadistic dreams to fruition. He is in the Great Hall to the best of my knowledge; his mind torn into shreds. His other functions will fail in a matter of time, and he will die."

There was a deep silence in the large courtyard, and Harry was slightly disappointed to see some people looking at him distrustfully and with fear. Gabrielle saw their expressions as well, and Harry was certain that he saw passionfire flicker across her fingertips for a moment. "I am a Veela," she scowled, "_Malfoy's_ comments are far more than just words to me. I support my fiancé in every single action he has done today."

"Harry, I noticed that you had fangs when you moved towards Mister Malfoy."

Mutters ran through the crowd at Dumbledore's words, and Harry's eyes darkened before he turned to Madam Bones. "I, Harry James Potter, charge Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore with aiding and abetting a criminal, a known Death Eater; obstructing justice when I moved to punish Severus Snape – a right which is legally mine; and endangering minors through inaction. He clearly saw the entire thing, as he saw my fangs – which were a mere charm by the way Headmaster, cast to intimidate – and yet he did not move to stop Draco's…just end. When I moved onto a _known_ Death Eater however, he defended him."

"Severus Snape was cleared of all charges Mister Potter."

Harry nodded to Amelia, "I know that, but do you know of this?"

He leant over and whispered in the woman's ear, and after a minute everybody was shocked when the Head of the DMLE, the pinnacle of stoicism, flicked her wand into her hand and sent a banishing charm at Snape which ended with the liberally stunned man flying back into the school's walls and a series of cracks as various bones were broken. "Make sure he doesn't die," she snarled, and one of the aurors went over and cast a half-hearted bone mending spell. Harry watched it carefully and smirked as it set the bones wrongly; Snape was going to _love_ re-breaking both of his arms and his left leg. "I've heard more than enough to easily get this man sentenced to the veil. The proof is all before me," she saw Dumbledore move to open his mouth, but interrupted him with a punctuated, "AND…Harry has assured me that he has proof of all of his other crimes; verified by the ICW. The investigation, interestingly enough, was led by Jean Delacour."

Dumbledore's face paled considerably at that small titbit of information; it was a well-known and accepted fact that when Jean Delacour investigated a case it was airtight, and that did not at all bode well for his spy in Voldemort's ranks. "Oh, Rita?" The blonde woman looked up at Harry, surprised he had addressed her, and he smiled slightly. "Be sure to mention that Snape is also a spy _for_ Dumbledore. Publish that the Order of the Phoenix, that's his little group of vigilantes, knows about Voldemort's plans for veneficus bona." He spelt it out for Rita, ignoring the horrified expression on Dumbledore's face. "And write that it won't work for him because it can only be performed during the Summer Solstice…while at the same time having Jupiter, Neptune and Mercury aligned. You can quote me on this bit," he saw her eager expression and smirked, "terribly sorry Tom old chap, but that kind of thing only happens every six hundred and fifty six years! Terrible shame that the last one occurred ten years ago!"

There was dead silence after his statement. He was openly mocking and teasing the Dark Lord, and by all appearances wasn't overly concerned about that fact at all. More people turned distrusting and afraid looks at him, and he nodded to Rita with a small wink. She nodded her head at a million miles per hour and grinned wider than he had ever seen as she gave him the thumbs up; they would follow the press more than they would follow him, and if the press was in support of his actions… he would be trusted once more. With Rita in his pocket, he would always be trusted at this rate. "Harry, I must protest; you cannot simply throw Severus through the veil."

Harry didn't even have time to reply before Gabby interjected; and her face was a mask of fury. "You must protest?" she spat, "Your _trusted_ Potion's Professor; your _trusted_ spy, is so goddamn _stupid_ that he tried to have me raped, and bonded against my will. I am the daughter of the French Minister of Magic, and you are willing to start a war between our countries because you _trust_ him? Is me being raped part of your plan? Is Harry getting killed because you're too… idiotic to discover another way to get rid of Tom's insurance?" Dumbledore gaped at her knowledge of something he had attempted to keep hidden, but she tore on into him relentlessly; intent on making him see the errors of his ways. "You're the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot for Merlin's sake; the self-proclaimed leader of the light; the man who people turn to for guidance, and yet you do _nothing_!"

"Miss Delacour, you are mistaken; everything that I did was for the-"

"Greater good?" she interrupted with a scornful snarl, "Harry's told me all about your greater good. Your greater good saw Harry facing Voldemort in his first year; killing an ancient Basilisk and facing a shade of Voldemort in his second year; having an innocent man, his godfather, imprisoned for twelve years; entered into a tournament illegally in his fourth year where you could have declared the tournament a draw and then redrawn the names; fighting against a Death Eater posing as one of your _best friends_, and then the following year abandoning him to horrors such as torture through the use of blood quills from Umbridge; threats of the Cruciatus from the same person; possession by Voldemort, _and _his godfather's murder."

"Your 'greater good'" Harry calmly continued, "is not the greater good; it is a farce. You have delusions of adequacy. You are getting old, Headmaster, and you are losing your edge. Snape plays for both sides; you _and_ Voldemort. I took it from his mind when he illegally performed Legilimency on me in your office."

Dumbledore looked as if he had just sucked on a lemon, and turned to Snape for an answer. After being subjected to over twenty stunners however, Snape was in no position whatsoever to answer the look, and so Dumbledore turned to Harry with a deep sigh. "What do you want Mister Potter?"

Harry nodded and wrapped his arms back around his betrothed, who smiled up at him and snuggled back into his embrace. "I want you to-"

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

At point blank range virtually every spell is unavoidable – even to a Vampire. Punches, just avoidable; attacks from brooms, likely a glancing blow, but a spell? Not likely. Screams came from all around as the spell burst against Harry's back unhindered, and he slumped to his knees as curses flew over his head – all of which impacted against the head of the House of Malfoy. Lucius also slumped to the ground a moment later; the victim of a piercing curse to the heart by one of the aurors, and everybody was silent as they looked at the lifeless figure of Harry James Potter being held up by Gabrielle who looked horrified. Dumbledore looked incredibly pale; his mouth agape at what had happened in front of his very eyes; what he had failed to prevent. "No…" Gabrielle whispered; her tears dripping onto the face of Harry whose head she cradled in her lap, "No, you can't be dead; I can still feel you! You can't leave me!"

Everybody watched as she leant her head down to bury her face into his shoulder, and not a word was spoken. Nobody dared breathe; it was almost as if they were hoping that their silence would delay the inevitable. And then it happened. Gabrielle burst away from Harry with a brilliant smile on her face, and Harry's hand rose with his wand clutched between his fingers, and he stabbed it into his chest before wheezing two words. "_Levitas tactus_!"

A bolt of electricity arched through his body; and his back bowed almost to snapping point as the energy coursed through his body. After several seconds he fell still, and then, to everybody's complete awe; complete and utter bewilderment, slowly sat up. Gabby immediately rushed back to him and engulfed him in an embrace, and people watched in complete silence when his arms raised and hugged her back as he buried his face into her shoulder. After several minutes he rose with the help of Gabrielle, and then faced the aurors tiredly. "Who's the one that killed that idiot," he motioned over his shoulder to the fallen Malfoy, and shakily one of the younger female aurors raised her hand. He smiled weakly and nodded. "Good job; he needed to be taken down a notch."

Still in complete silence he turned to face the crowd of completely incredulous students and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Well I've done it once; didn't see why I couldn't do it again."

"YOU CAN'T SURVIVE THE KILLING CURSE!" yelled a vicious Pansy Parkinson from the back of the crowd, and Gabrielle helpfully cast a sonorous on him so that he wouldn't have to raise his voice to reply.

"Done it once, done it twice, not looking forward to doing it again in a hurry. Hurts like an absolute _bitch_, and I have to do some fancy magic which drains me that allows me to stay in this world long enough to perform _Levitas tactus. _Not pleasant, and I'm worn out." He turned to Dumbledore who was so pale it looked like he needed an urgent blood transfusion, and gave a crooked smile. "I am, to be quite frank, too tired from that to even consider what I want you to do. I will talk to you when I next manage to wake up – and I'll be commandeering the Gryffindor Married Quarters thank you." Dumbledore nodded mutely; his assent triggering the wards around said quarters and allowing Harry and Gabby access, and everybody parted as Harry limped slowly back towards the castle with Gabby supporting him.

There was only one thing to really say that captured everybody's thoughts accurately, and Amelia Bones was the one to voice it.

"Damn that kid is scary."


End file.
